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Visitors increased from 2,827 to 3,781. By this means, rather than by
interviewing parents at clinics, is the work of the Health Visitor best carried
out. She is able to view the home background and to give the parent
undivided attention, not always possible when mothers are seen at a crowded
and often noisy clinic. The increase in the number of visits made is partly
due to the fact that five of the six Health Visitors were permitted to use
cars, this means of transport causing a saving of valuable time.
I should like to express my thanks to those voluntary workers who have
given help at the Infant Welfare Centres for their unfailing support. Their
regular attendance in all weathers has done much to contribute to the smooth
running of these centres.
The Day Nursery in Spratt Hall Road, Wanstead, was completed in
May and opened officially by Mrs. Churchill on 1st June. Approval for
the construction of this nursery was given initially by the Borough Council
in February, 1946. After some deliberation, approval of the Ministries of
Health and Education was obtained. This was followed by numerous setbacks
and difficulties over the supply of essential materials, especially steel.
However, it is most satisfactory to be able to report that all difficulties were
overcome and the nursery opened for admissions prior to the coming into
force of the National Health Service Act and the consequent transference
of this service to the County Council. The opening of this nursery fulfil
a long-standing and very real need in view of the fact that no nursery
provision had been made during the war years as had been the case with
adjacent authorities.
Very many applications were received from parents for the admission
of their children to the nursery, which can accommodate fifty children of
ages ranging from birth to five years. To deal with these applications a
system of priorities was instituted, details of which are as follows:—
Category 1. Cases in which the woman is the sole support of the
family, e.g., widowed mothers, unmarried mothers.
Category 2. Cases in which the husband is partially incapacitated
through invalidism.
Category 3. Economic or other grounds for admission.
Two or three places are held vacant for the temporary admission
children in whose homes there has been a sudden emergency, e.g., illness of
a parent. Children are also admitted for a few hours while the mother
attends hospital as an out-patient.
To meet further the needs of the Borough as regards nursery facilities
plans are being formulated for the building of a second nursery at Woodford
Bridge.
The Birth Rate per thousand of the estimated population decreased to
16.0 as compared with 19.8 in 1947. The Death Rate, calculated similarly
fell from 10.9 to 10.1. The Infantile Mortality Rate, i.e., the deaths in
infants under one year per thousand live births, was 32.7 compared with a
rate of 34 for the whole of England and Wales.
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