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97
The death-rate from Diarrhoea and Enteritis per 1,000 live
births was 8.3.
4. CHILD WELFARE.
The general arrangements for Child Welfare were fully detailed
in the 1930 Report.
(a) Municipal Scheme.—Your Council have an arrangement
with the Woodford Urban District Council, under which, for a
payment of £20 per annum, their Health Visitor carries out the
necessary visiting in the Woodford portion of your area. In addition,
one of your Visitors carries out supervisory visits.
The Woodford Urban District Council gave 3 months' notice,
with effect from 22nd February, 1933, to terminate the existing
agreement. In order to cope with the visits necessitated by the
development of this part of your Borough and with the expansion
of services your Council have recently sanctioned the appointment
of an additional Health Visitor.
Dr. R. A. Vere Hodge, Medical Officer Health, kindly states
that the Woodford Nurse paid the following visits during 1932:—
Children under 1 year—first visits, 30; subsequent visits, 233;
total, 263. Children 1 to 5 years, 296. Total, 559.
The system of visiting followed was detailed in the 1931 Report.
Following the resignation of one of the School Nurses in July,
opportunity occurred to put into operation the previously determined
policy to combine the Health Visiting and School Nursing
Staffs. The Education Authority, therefore, advertised for a
School Nurse with Health Visitor's qualifications and after appointment
this Nurse gave half time to both School and Welfare duties.
In order to equalise the allocation of time to both duties one of the
existing Health Visitors was detailed to give half time to School
duties. The two nurses now divide the Higham Hill ward between
them and carry out all home visits both for school and pre-school
children and infants. In addition to the smaller areas covered by
each nurse, duplication of visits to the same household by separate
nurses is avoided and additional qualified staff is available to assist
at the Welfare Centres. The full benefit of this policy will not be
felt until a completely unified nursing staff is obtained.
The equivalent of whole time Health Visiting Staff remains at
5.5, equal to one whole time Health Visitor per 300 notified births
and one per 340 registered births during 1932.