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Much, however, still needs to be done to develop the work
of the Centres, particularly as regards treatment and educational
facilities. Treatment could be provided with little difficulty and
at slight cost at the School Clinics established by the Education
Committee for the treatment of Defective Vision, Ringworm,
Minor Ailments and Dental Defects among school children.
In this connection, provision is urgently needed for the
treatment of Carious and Septic Teeth found in expectant and
nursing mothers, as it has been proved that the presence of such
teeth gives rise to toxic effects which are prejudicial directly to
the mother and indirectly to the child through the maternal milk.
Application has been made to the Education Committee for the
use of their facilities, on agreed terms, but has been refused.
The need for increased educational work at the Centres and for
an extra Centre at Heston has been pointed out by the Ministry
of Health (arising out of a visit by one of their medical inspectors),
but both proposals are impracticable with the present limited staff,
especially having regard to its changing personnel.
Health Visitors.
A fourth Health Visitor was appointed at the beginning of the
year, and as will be seen from the statistics it has been possible
to pay a few more visits to babies and to children under five, but
the full benefit of the increase of staff has not been reaped for
two reasons:—
(1) There has been a substantial and continuous increase
in the demands on the time of the Health Visitors for
attendance at schools and clinics in connection with School
Medical Work as well as at the Maternity and Child Welfare
Centres.
(2) There have been continual changes in the staff, owing
to discontent with the salaries paid by the Council.
This latter factor greatly militates against the success of antenatal
work, as Health Visitors rarely remain long enough in the
district to get to know the mothers intimately and thus gain their