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A summary card of each child is passed over to the School
Medical Officer immediately the child attends school (including
attendance at the Council's two Nursery Schools). This card
contains brief notes regarding physical and mental development
from birth, and any illnesses from which the child may have
suffered prior to school age, and is thereafter included in the
appropriate dossier of the school child concerned.
Visits paid by all Health Visitors.
First Visits Total Visits
(a) To expectant mothers 5980 18841
(b) To children under one year of age 5681 38677
(c) To children 1-5 years of age 1467 47941
*(d) Infant Life Protection visits 28 262
*(e) Special visits (Home Helps, etc.) — 11139
Total Visits 116860
* Visits under (a), (b) and (c) include all visits to the homes
by Municipal Health Visitors and by those Nurses attached to the
Plaistow Maternity Hospital and to the various Voluntary Clinics
in the Borough. Visits under (d) and (e) are made only by the
Municipal Health Visitors.
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics.
There are eleven Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics in the
Borough, so situated that every district is within a reasonable
distance of a Clinic. Up till October, 1936, there were twelve
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics, but owing to inadequate
and unsatisfactory accommodation the Martin Street Branch
Clinic of the Plaistow Maternity Hospital had to be closed as a
Clinic, the mothers and babies being drafted to various centres
in the neighbourhood. Of this number five are Municipal Clinics
staffed entirely by the Council's medical and nursing staff; the
remaining six are attached to various voluntary organisations
which are subsidised by the Council. Antenatal sessions are held
weekly at each of the Municipal Clinics, and at four of the Voluntary
Clinics. In the case of the Municipal Clinics a written
report is sent by the Medical Officer of the Clinic
to each midwife after examination of her patient, so
that there is close and satisfactory co-operation in antenatal
work. In addition, the midwife is notified immediately to visit
any patient who fails to keep her appointment for subsequent
examination. The mothers attend very regularly for antenatal
supervision, and co-operate well with the Maternity and Child
Welfare Staff in utilising the services made available for their
benefit under the Council's scheme.
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