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42
Hitherto, it was the practice in the London County Council for the consultant
ophthalmologist to visit the persons in their own homes. In a compact area
like Hackney, it is a practicable proposition for the persons to be brought to
a clinic and accordingly, the majority of cases are now brought to either
Shoreditch or John Scott Health Centre by transport, provided by the Welfare
Department. Domiciliary visits are still made to those persons who are unable
to leave their homes.
Approximately 250 persons were placed on the registers or re-examined during
the year.
RE-HOUSING ON MEDICAL GROUNDS
Regular monthly meetings with representatives from the Housing Department
continued to take place. During the year under review 217 cases were discussed
and 161 placed in various degrees of priority. In each case the precise medical
condition and resultant disability were determined necessitating communication
with the family doctor or with the hospital attended.
NURSING HOMES
The number of nursing homes in the Borough registered under Part VI of the
Public Health Act, 1936, and the Nursing Homes Act, 1963, remains the same as
previously.
St. Margaret's Nursing Home, Victoria Park Road, caters for a few maternity
and chronic medical cases; St. Joseph's Hospice for terminal cases; while St.
Mary's, Stamford Hill, under the management of the Community of St. Mary the
Virgin, Wantage, and 'Crossways' under the management of the Salvation Army are
two homes for unsupported mothers and babies. The latter organisation requested
the registration of alternative premises this year because those at 9 Amhurst
Park had become too old to maintain economically. The proposed premises at 13
Laura Place, E.5, which were already the property of the Salvation Army, were
inspected, and a schedule of structural works approved. As a good deal of redecoration
was needed the new premises had not come into use by the end of the
year.
RESEARCH PROJECTS
NUTRITION SURVEYS OF PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN AND PREGNANT WOMEN
The last full scale survey of the state of nutrition of sections of the
population was carried out between 1948 and 1951 when food rationing was still
in being. The Ministry of Health, therefore, has decided to carry out a further
survey into the nutrition of pre-school children and pregnant women and this
Borough is one of those selected to take part. Mothers from certain postal
districts who had babies during five consecutive days in March were selected.
A preliminary questionnaire was completed for 40 mothers. Staff of the Government
Social Survey will arrange the follow-up of the participants.
SURVEY OF CHILDREN WITH SPINA BIFIDA
The new surgical approach to spina bifida has meant that many children who
would formerly have died now survive - with varying degrees of handicap. A
survey is therefore being undertaken by the newly formed Research & Intelligence
Unit of the Greater London Council and is a collaborative research project involving
hospitals in Greater London, borough Medical Officers of Health and a
number of other organisations.