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It has been the practice of the health visitors in the past,
in addition to closely co-operating with our own Day Nurseries,
to attend at the routine medical inspection of nursery children
in the schools, to afford assistance to the School Medical Officer
and Head Teachers with their more intimate knowledge of these
children.
Convalescent Home Treatment. Prior to the transfer of
the health services to the County Council, children in need of
convalescent treatment were referred to the Invalid Children's
Aid Association, to whom the District Council made a contribution
towards the cost of treatment.
Orthopaedic Treatment. We are fortunate in Merton
and Morden in having two hospitals equipped with Physiotherapy
departments. It has become the practice to refer
children from the Morden area to the St. Helier Hospital to
facilitate regular attendances. Our old arrangement where we
send these cases to the Physiotherapy department of the Nelson
Hospital continues to cater for the Merton part of the area.
Maternity Hospital Treatment. Complicated cases requiring
in-patient treatment are referred to hospitals locally,
while cases complicated by pyrexia have received treatment at
the Wandle Valley Isolation Hospital. 80 such cases from the
Council's Maternity Clinics were referred during the year to the
following institutions: —
To the St. Helier Hospital 74
To other hospitals 6
The reasons for referring these cases were as follows:—
For obstetric abnormality 38
For other medical reasons 17
For unsuitable home conditions 25
Of 855 institutional births, 372 occurred in St. Helier
Hospital, 289 in the Nelson Hospital and 194 in other hospitals,
institutions or nursing homes, representing 77.1 per cent. of the
total births.
Emergency Maternity Unit. No calls were made during the
year for the service of this unit.
Consultant Service. A specialist's opinion may be had in
cases of obstructed labour, emergencies in pregnancy, or
puerperal pyrexia.
Home Help Scheme. Until this service was transferred to the
County Council on the appointed day, the Council employed an
35