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Ante-Natal Post-Natal
Total number of attendances from
all districts during the year 2,358 461
Total number of women who
attended during the year: —
(a) From Merton and Morden 180 112
(b) From all districts 428 301
Health Visiting. I have drawn attention earlier in this report to
the fact that the steady increasing number of births and the steady
accumulation of duties which each year is thrown upon the
Health Visitors has meant that while their usefulness to the
community has thereby correspondingly increased, their capacity
to keep on top of what used to be regarded as their primary
work, has to some extent suffered.
Domiciliary visiting has always been regarded as one of their
most important functions and the promptness with which they
can attend the newborn baby has always been considered of the
first importance. It is, however, a fact that we should recognise
that these other duties have so accumulated that they are
on longer able to pay these firsts visits with the same promptitude
after the receipt of the notification of birth. The Council
has recognised the growth of their work and has increased the
number of Health Visitors from time to time. Unfortunately,
it has been exceedingly difficult to recruit them, but it will be
necessary to add to our staff again if the standard of the work is
to be maintained.

In addition to closely co-operating with our own Day
Nurseries, the Health Visitors have attended at the routine
medical inspections of nursery children in the schools, to afford
assistance to the School Medical Officer and Head Mistresses of
the schools with their more intimate knowledge of these children.
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