London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
West Ham 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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T able XX.
Work of the health visitors.
| Employing body. | Expectant mothers. | Infants. | Children up to school age. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First visits. | Revisits. | First visits. | Revisits. | First visits. | Revisits. | Total. | |
| Local authority Voluntary | 1,828 | 3,568 | 2,841 | 12,232 | 835 | 21,205 | 43,509 |
| organisations | 3,142 | 13,270 | 2,364 | 22,573 | 511 | 22,016 | 63,876 |
| Totals | 4.97° | 16,838 | 5,205 | 34,805 | 1,346 | 43,221 | 106,385 |
Special visits (Municipal health visitors only): —
| Home helps, investigations into special cases Infant life protection visits | 10,877 |
| Number of first visits | 40 |
| Total number of visits | 349 |
| (a) Municipal health visitors | 53,735 |
| (b) Other health visitors | 63,876 |
| Total number .. | 117,611 |
Infant life protection.
Under the Children Act, 1908, Part I., as amended by the
Children and Young Persons Act, 1932, and after 1st October,
1937, by Part VII. of the Public Health Act, 1936, the supervision
of foster children and of the homes in which they reside is carried
out by the municipal health visitors on their respective districts.
Application for registration as a foster mother is sanctioned by
the Council on the recommendation of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee. Only in exceptional circumstances is a
foster mother allowed to have more than one foster child in her
care at any one time.
Before a foster mother's application is approved, a detailed
report is received from the health visitor, and from the relieving
officer of the district when the applicant is known to him. The
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