[Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Maidstone U.D.C. / Borough.

  • Maidstone (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Maidstone U.D.C. / Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    War-time Nurseries. The three Nurseries, at Highfield, at South i’aik and at Kinglestone have been continued, for the children of women engaged on war work. During 1944, the Nursery at Highfield continued to accommodate children at night, for those women who were en gaged on night work or on late shifts and we have also been able to help in cases where the Mothers had to go into hospital and there was no one to care for the children. These Nurseries are provided by the Ministries of Health and of National Service and were intended as war time provision. While I deplore the need for the mothers of young children to go out to work it is probable that there will be cases where this will be necessary —cases where the Fathers are sick or disabled, where the Mother is a widow or unmarried and where the family income makes it needful for the Mother to seek work and for such, it is probable that Day Nurseries will continue to be required. Nursery schools are envisaged in the new Education Act, but in addition to these, a Nursery for the smaller children will be required and in the many instances where it will be necessary for the young married folk to live in rooms or with relatives till houses are ready for them, a nursery where the babies can be received and the strain on the households relieved for a part of the day at least, with consequent relief to temper and patience, will be most desirable. And I am pleased to record as my conviction that the child, especially where it is an “Only,” benefits enormously from nursery life. It will be necessary for the Local Authority to decide w hat its policy with regard to day nurseries is to be and w hat provision is to be made. The training of girls for the certificate of the National Society of Day Nurseries has continued with success and this has proved a valuable training for girls who wish to take up (he care of children, a good recruiting ground for candidates for the nursing profession and, for those who will probably marry and have families of their own, the training is of the utmost value. In addition to the practical training in the nurseries, lectures are given by the Matrons, the Assistant M.O.H. and myself and there lias been a, very high percentage of success in the examinations. Sunlight Treatment. 1 hiring 1944, thanks to the generosity of Messrs. Tilling-Stevens, Ltd., an installation for treatment by radiant heat and artificial sunlight was presented to the Health Department. This has been installed at the Old Palace, in the rooms set aside for the Maternity and Child Welfare Centre and sunlight clinics are now held twice a week. I am glad to say that the treatment has proved of benefit to many cases and to record my appreciation of this firm’s gift, which was given “For the benefit of the children of Maidstone” and which is fulfilling that purpose. One of the Health Visitors was sent to the Royal Northern Hospital, London, for instruction in the use of sun-ray equipment and gratifying results have already been obtained.