[Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Cannock U.D.C.

  • Cannock (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1914] / Medical Officer of Health, Cannock U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/38 (page 9)
    It is evident froiutlie Repni ts issued by Ihe^Iedical Departiuent of the Board and those of man}' Medical Officers of Health that more extended and systematic measines than have hitherto been generally adopted are necessai)', aiul it i> ]i(.)ped that the grant of assistance from the Ivxeheciuer will stimulate those local authorities who have not yet taken action to give the matter their earnest consideraiion and will encourage those already ei\gaged in work to develoj) it still further. (■]) to the present local authorities, in their infant welfare work, have concerned themselves more especially with the child in its first year of life ; the matter is, however, one wliich needs to be dealt with on a more comprehensive basis and it is clearly desirable that there should be continuity in dealing with the whole period from before birth until the time when the child is entered upon a school register, /.<•., the register of a public elementary school, nursery school, creche, day nursery, school for mothers, or other school. h'xtension of the exi.sting work is accordingly needed in tuo directions ; on the one hand it is necessar\' that measures should lie taken for securing improved ante-natal and natal conditions, and on the other, provision should be made for continuing the work in relation to children beyond the first year of life. The accompanying memorandnm, which has been prepared by the Board’s .Medical Officer with a view to assisting the formulation of schemes or extending the work already undertaken, sets forth in out- line the matters needing consideration in the preparation of a compre- hensive scheme. It will be seen that the memorandum contemplates that medical advice and, Avhere necessary, treatment should be con- tinuously and systematically available for expectant mothers and for children till they are entered on a school register, and that arrangements should be made for home visitation throughout this ])eriod. 'file work of home vdsitation is one to wdiich the Board attach very great importance, and in promoting schemes on the lines laid down in the accompanying statement the first step should be the a])pointment of an adequate staff of Health \’isitors. It will be desirable, at all events in the case of the larger urban authorities, to provide consultation centres which may fitly be termed Matcniity Centres, to which expectant mothers and mothers with in- fants and little children may be referred for advice and treatment the operation of these- IMaternity Centres will be rendered most effec- tive if co-operation is secured with the midwives of the district and with any local hospital having a maternity department. It will be necessaty- to arrange for a medical officer to be in charge of such a Cent’.e, and for the attendance at the Centre of members