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Maternity and Child Welfare.
Steady progress has been maintained in the work of this
section of the Public Health Department, and a considerable
amount of re-organisation effected.
New medical record cards have been introduced at each
centre. The forms which were previously used have therefore
been discontinued. This has afforded rapid and easy reference
and has greatly facilitated the filing system. It is now possible
for the record of a child attending one of the Centres to be
attached to its school medical record card as soon as it commences
school. A card index system has also been introduced
in the Ante-Natal Clinic. In addition, registers are now kept at
all the Centres.
The total number of visits paid by the Health Visitors
during 1930 amounted to 6,422. This represents a large increase
over the figure for the previous year, which amounted to 5,192.
The attendance of the children at the Centres has continued
to be most satisfactory. At the Pelham Centre the average
attendance per session has risen from 46 in 1929 to 64 in 1930.
The average attendance per session at the Wandle Park
Centre was 40, comparing very favourably with the figure of 41
during 1929. There is no doubt that this figure would have been
considerably higher had it not been for the fact that extensive
repairs and decorations at the Centre had necessitated the
sessions being transferred to the Health Centre at Pelham Road
during the last four months of the year. Wandle Park Centre
has now been redecorated throughout internally. The lighting
of some of the lower rooms has been greatly improved and the
repair work that has been carried out on the exterior has now
rendered the premises entirely free from dampness.
The Ante-natal Clinic is held at Wandle Park House in the
afternoon on the second and fourth Thursday in the month.
The average attendance per session at this Clinic was 6. Here
again a certain amount of disorganisation was inevitable owing
to the necessity for temporarily transferring this Clinic to the
Health Centre, Pelham Road, whilst the above mentioned
repairs were taking place. Since the commencement of the
present year the number of attendances at the Ante-natal Clinic
has shown a gratifying increase.
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