[Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, County Council of the Parts of Lindsey (Lincolnshire).

  • Lindsey (England : County). County Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / Medical Officer of Health, County Council of the Parts of Lindsey (Lincolnshire). Source: Wellcome Collection.

    26/48 (page 24)
    Day Nurseries The Day Nursery at Gainsborough was closed early in the year owing to the fail in the daily attendances which had averaged only 14 during the previous year and was only 5 during the 3 months prior to closure. The nursery at Scunthorpe is still in operation but here too the attendances have fallen considerably and aver¬ aged only 19 for the year. Welfare Foods In June of this year the County Council took over from the Ministry of Food the responsibility for the distri¬ bution of welfare foods, i.e. national dried milk, cod liver oil, orange juice and A& D tablets. Foods were being dis¬ tributed from 114 centres in the County manned by voluntary workers. In addition in 9 areas distribution took place direct from Ministry of Food Offices. These offices were closed and it consequently became necessary for the Council to make alternative arrangements at Barton-upon-Humber, Cleethorpes (part of), Gainsborough, Horncastle and Skegness. Premises had to be hired at Epworth and Mablethorpe but in the other areas the trans¬ fer was from the Ministry of Food Offices to existing County Council premises. Paid staff owing to the lack of voluntary help was provided at 6 of these centres. The Women’s Voluntary Service, who have been most helpful throughout, provided the staff at many of the remainder. Since the Council became responsible for this work 10 new distribution centres staffed by voluntary workers have been opened. Arrangements have also been made whereby Lindsey residents who previously obtained their supplies from Grimsby, Lincoln and Boston may continue to do so if they so wish. The number of distribution centres in operation in the County at the end of the year was 132. A few householders living in isolated parts of the County find it difficult to collect their supplies from the nearest Centre and in these cases arrangements have been made to forward supplies by post. During the six months the Council has been operating the service issues have been made as follows:— National Dried Milk Tins 108,914 Cod Liver Oil Bottles 16,664 Orange Juice 78,802 Dental Care A &D Tablets Packets 5,273 The Chief County Dental Officer, Mr. J. D. Sykes, reports on the dental care of expectant mothers and young children as follows:— “ A further improvement in the staffing position has allowed a slight increase in the amount of time devoted to Maternity and Child Welfare work and of the re-opening of the Scunthorpe Clinic, This still leaves the clinics at Ashby, Barton-upon-Humber, Brigg, Crowle, Epworth, Immingham and Louth without a dental officer. Lor many years past more mothers have attended for dental treatment at the Gainsborough Clinic than any other and this year more have attended there than at all the others put together. These latter clinics, with the exception of Scunthorpe, not functioning in 1953, all show a reduction in mothers attending. In contrast Gainsborough shows fewer pre-school children attending whilst all the other clinics show more. Most of the patients are referred by medical officers or health visitors from the ante-natal or infant welfare clinics and there are obvious advantages in arranging dental sessions in the same clinics and at the same times as the various M. & C.W. sessions. To some extent this is done but where it would necessitate a disproportionate amount of time being taken away from routine school work, M. & C.W. sessions are held when sufficient work has accumulated to justify them or else patients are invited to attend at the end of school sessions. Whilst staff shortages persist it is essential that the dental officers’ time should be used most effectively. This can be done more easily in the school service v/here some measure of control is exercised over the patients than in the M. & C.W. service where domestic responsibilities and the nature of the mothers’ eligibility for treatment, together with transport difficulties in the rural areas particularly, make attendances somewhat erratic. It will be seen from the table that of 982 appointments made for mothers 177 were not kept and it is felt that whilst this year the figure is unduly high, nevertheless a considerable proportion of appointments broken will have to be accepted. In the case of the pre-school children, as always the number of broken appointments is very small indeed. Mothers appear to be more conscientious in this matter on behalf of their children than of themselves. The following table of statistical analysis relating to adult treatment has been quoted in recent years to show in a simple way the effectiveness of the work being done. It will be seen that the progress of recent years has this year received a most noticeable set-back. Year 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 Extractions per patient 5.20 6.73 3.40 2.86 1.54 4.57 Fillings per patient. .75 .53 1.09 1.16 1.52 .90 Dentures per patient. 1.14 .69 .96 .41 .47 .53 Ratio of partial to full dentures .77 .133 1.65 2.07 2.75 1.14