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39
Thirty-nine patients were referred by the private Doctors to the Council's
Consulting Obstetrician at the Ante-Natal Clinic for a further opinion. 15
of these women and 33 other patients who had engaged a Council Midwife (29
as a midwife and 19 as a maternity nurse) were, for various reasons, admitted
to the Council's Maternity Home or other Hospitals for confinement. 38
were admitted to the Maternity Home, 9 to Oldchurch Hospital, Romford,
and 1 to King George Hospital, Ilford.
In addition seven patients were admitted to the Maternity Home following
confinement for various reasons. Two patients who had engaged the
Council's midwives were admitted to the Council's Maternity Home for antenatal
treatment and subsequently confined at their own homes.
A Doctor was called in at the time of the confinement or subsequently
to 161 of the 411 cases in which a midwife had been engaged.
Nine cases were notified as suffering from Puerperal Pyrexia, 8 being
removed to the Isolation Hospital. 6 of these patients had engaged their
own Doctor to attend them.
One mother admitted to the Isolation Hospital four days after her
confinement, died two days later from Puerperal Staphylococcal septicaemia.
The patient was attended at the confinement by her own Doctor.
Three babies were notified as suffering from Ophthalmia Neonatorum. The
condition of the eyes cleared satisfactorily.
Of the infants born, there were 15 stillbirths. In seven instances the midwife
was engaged as a maternity nurse only.
Nineteen infants died. In nine instances the midwife was engaged as a
maternity nurse only.
(b) Salvation Army Miwifery Service.
In accordance with Section 1 of the Midwives Act, 1936, the Council
made an agreement with the Salvation Army Mother's Hospital for the
provision of a domiciliary service of midwives to attend cases in the district
bordered by Goodmayes Lane, Green Lane, Bennetts Castle Lane and Longbridge
Road in the Borough of Ilford and including these four roads. The
agreement took effect as from the 1st January, 1938.
75 cases were attended by the Salvation Army midwives during the year ;
61 as a midwife and 14 as a maternity nurse.

All patients booked for admission to the Maternity Home are medically
examined at the Ante-Natal Clinic.
During the year, 8 cases other than those booked for admission to the
Maternity Home were examined at the Clinics. There were 31 attendances
by such cases.
The Consulting Obstetrician or his Deputy made weekly visits to the
Home during 1940.