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42
HOME NURSING
Home nursing is provided by the Borough Council for persons requiring such attention and
unable to pay for it privately.
There are three groups of cases included in the Council's scheme : certain illnesses in children
under five years of age; certain illnesses in expectant and nursing mothers ; and certain infectious
diseases.
To the Superintendent and Nurses of the District Nursing Association I again express my
sincere thanks for their co-operation and assistance in the work of this Department.
DAY NURSERY
The Fulham Day Nursery is situated at Eridge House, Fulham Park Road, S.W. 6, and is
under the control of a Voluntary Committee. The Council makes a grant of £626 per annum to the
Day Nursery; and in addition, every child admitted to the Nursery is provided with medical supervision
and examination by members of the Maternity and Child Welfare staff.
Children are admitted to the Nursery between the ages of six weeks and five years ; the mothers
pay a small fee. The Nursery receives for the clay or half-day the children of mothers who must
go out to work daily; and many children thus escape being left to the casual attention of kindly but
often ignorant neighbours.
The Nursery does not yet cater for the relief of mothers who have to go to hospital for outpatient
treatment, or into hospital for operative or other treatment, and often mothers wait too long
before submitting themselves to treatment because of the difficulty of arranging for the care of their
children during their absence from home. The question of extension of the work of the Nursery
in this direction is worthy of consideration.
In every case Matron receives a home report of the circumstances of the child; and these
reports made by the Health Visitors are of great value.
Breast-feeding is not only encouraged but insisted upon, where possible, if only partially. All
the feeding of infants is done on the principle of the use of breast standard milk; and the older children
get a well balanced diet. An open-air life is rigidly maintained; and an old army hut in the garden
makes it possible for the children to be out of doors in both winter and summer, although they arc
never allowed out when there is fog.
The Day Nursery is affiliated to the National Society of Day Nurseries, 117, Piccadilly, W. 1.
Girls of over sixteen are received for a year's training. After examination certificates of proficiency
are granted by the National Society. Some of the girls become children's nursery nurses, and others
proceed to hospital training.
The following are the figures showing the attendances at the Day Nursery during 1937:—
Individual children under 3 years 91
Individual children over 3 years 35
Whole Days—
Attendances under 3 years 4,701
Attendances over 3 years 1,825
6,526
Half Days—
Attendances under 3 years 1,862
Attendances over 3 years 459
2,321
Total attendances 8,847
The Nursery was closed on fourteen half days.