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37
In March, Miss S. Briggs, one of the health visitors, was
seconded to be superintendent of the war-time nurseries, but after
eight months' service was appointed to be Superintendent Health
Visitor in an adjacent borough. The supervision of the nurseries
then reverted to the Superintendent Health Visitor.
In July, 1944, the health visitors were called upon to assist
with the examination and despatch to the provinces of about 2,400
mothers and children of all ages, including about 50 expectant
mothers under the Government Evacuation Scheme.
The customary duties of home visitation of expectant and
nursing mothers, children under five years, and all cases of children
in the care of foster parents and adopters, was carried out
by the health visitors. These duties also included attendance at
all clinic services, ante-natal, infant welfare, artificial sunlight,
dental and toddlers' sessions. The health visitors also visited and
made final arrangements for the departure of evacuating expectant
mothers, and sometimes accompanied the mothers to their destinations.
Talks to the mothers attending the various clinics, together
with the issue of Government vitamins at the distribution centres,
were continued as in previous years.
Close co-operation was maintained with members of staffs of
other services under the Authority, with the N.S.P.C.C., the
I.C.A.A., W.V.S., and the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families
Association, probationer officers, factory welfare officers and hospitals
in and outside the district which serve Tottenham residents.
During 1944 sixteen students of the National Health Society's
Health Visitors' Course received their practical training in the
Borough. Arrangements were made with the Borough of Islington
for their training in the Tuberculosis service.
The sewing classes and the Mothers' Clubs at the Chestnuts
and the Lordship Lane Municipal Health Centres were reopened,
and proved as popular as ever. The mothers seemed to be very
grateful for the opportunity of resuming their contacts with the
staff and with each other.
Several parties of post-graduate medical officers and student
health visitors from the Royal College of Nursing and the National
Health Society visited the Municipal Health Centres and other
services in the Borough, and several parties of women from the