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MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
STAFF. Mr.Harry Humberston was appointed Clerk in Charge of the section and took up
his duties on December 1st, 1949.
HEALTH VISITING. On the 31st December, 1949 the staff engaged in health visiting
duties or training to become Health Visitors under the Council's sponsored scheme consisted
of the following:-
7 Health Visitors
8 Student Health Visitors
8 Public Health Nurses, of whom 5 are to take the Health
Visitors' training during the coming year.
It is thus evident that good progress has been made towards securing the full complement
of 22 trained Health Visitors. It must, however, be borne in mind that in addition
to vacancies caused by the retirement of senior Health Visitors, there are likely to be other
vacancies during the coming years due to the resignation of some of the younger Health Visitors.
There is still a general shortage of Health Visitors throughout the country and it must be
expected that at the end of their two years' agreed term of service with the Council, some
will leave West Ham to work in other areas or will resign for other reasons. In order to
anticipate this and to avoid a serious depletion of the health visiting staff, which would
jeopardise the efficiency of the service, the Council has agreed to the appointment of 6
Student Health Visitors in addition to the 22 certificated Health Visitors, and the full
establishment of School Nurses and T.B. Health Visitors.
It is pleasing to record that the most cordial relations exist between the Council's
health visiting staff and the Health Visitors employed by the South West Ham Health Society
and Plaistow Maternity Hospital, who have joined with them in many educational and social
activities.

This means that each child under 1 year of age received approximately 3 visits during
the first year, and that children 1-5 years received approximately 1 visit per year.
This is an improvement on the service given last year. It is hoped that in future
years, when a larger health visiting staff should be available, to increase the number of
visits sufficiently to enable each Health Visitor to feel satisfied that she can exercise
friendly supervision over the development of each child under 5 in her district, and can
give as much attention as she feels necessary to the families who need more frequent help
and advice.
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN. Clinics have been held regularly throughout the
year at the five Municipal Centres and also at Plaistow Maternity Hospital (in relation to
the domiciliary midwifery service) and at Avenons Road, E.13. under the auspices of the South
West Ham Health Society. As in. the previous year, 9 ante-natal and 12 infant welfare
sessions have been held each week at the municipal centres.
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