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At Harefield, the new houses in Park Lane are drained in a similar manner,
but a portable petrol motor-pump is being purchased, which ought to deal with the
sewage quickly and efficiently.
Hospitals.
The Uxbridge Cottage Hospital, containing 12 beds, serves for any suitable
cases in the Uxbridge Rural district, and during the year several cases have been
admitted from Harefield, West Drayton, Hillingdon and Hillingdon Heath. A
private ward is now obtainable for one patient.
An X-Ray Apparatus has been installed at the Hospital and is a great benefit
to the district.
For infectious cases there is the Joint Hospital, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge,
where there is adequate accommodation for the reception and treatment of cases of
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria and Typhoid. Cases of Measles cannot be admitted.
The Small-Pox Hospital at Yeading is available in case of need.
The Uxbridge Poor Law Institution at Hillingdon has, during the year, dealt
with a large number of cases in a satisfactory manner. The Hospital portion is a
training school for nurses where about 15 probationer nurses obtain their nursing
certificate after a three-years' course.
Maternity and Child Welfare Work.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Centres have done good work. There are
centres at Uxbridge, Hillingdon Heath, Yiewsley, Harefield, Ruislip and Northolt.
It will be noted that three of the centres are not in the Rural District, but mothers in
your area may attend their nearest centre. These Centres are open weekly or
fortnightly, and a Medical Officer of the Middlesex County Council attends to give
advice to the mothers concerning their babies. Persons eligible are expectant
mothers, and children up to the age of five. In cases of need, free, half-price or
cost price milk (or dried milk) is supplied through these Centres. There is a tendency
for mothers to bring their children only when they need actual advice, but the
purpose of the Centre is to keep all children under observation and give periodic
weighing, etc.
The Creche at Uxbridge is open to all babies residing in the Rural District.
The charges are 12s. 6d. per week, or 9s. 4d. from Monday to Saturday, so that mothers
can take their young children to the Creche early on Monday morning, then proceed to
work from Monday to Saturday mid-day, and resume the care of their children over
the week-end. Thus a widowed mother or unmarried mother may earn her own
living and leave her child in safe hands.
There are no proper lying-in homes in the area at present, but the Maternity
Block at Hillingdon Infirmary (Uxbridge Poor Law Institution) does excellent work
and deals with about 20 cases per year.
Sometimes the Guardians permit a mother to resume outside work and they
take charge of the baby—there being a Children's Home on the premises at Hillingdon
in which, on an average, there are about 22 children.
There are three Health Visitors working in the Uxbridge Rural District.