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The Ministry of Health point out the tremendous importance of ante-natal
clinic work, but state also that facilities should be granted for proper medical
supervision to those women who are disinclined to seek advice at an ante-natal
centre. The question of utilising the services of private practitioners, outlined
in the Memorandum, raises so many matters of the first importance that it would
be better to defer any consideration of it until a later date. It will be considered
by the medical societies and associations, and further information will be
forthcoming.
Memo. 145/M.C.W., of July, 1929, with regard to ante-natal clinics, which
is mentioned in Memo. 156, is complied with by the Hackney ante-natal centres
so far as the existing accommodation will permit, but there are some directions
in which the present organisation obviously falls short.
Hackney Ante-Natal Clinics:—
The number of Clinics is inadequate for the needs of the Borough if antenatal
supervision is to be extended, as the Ministry suggest, to all expectant
mothers; the Council's scheme provides the services of four municipal centres
and co-operation with the voluntary centre at Eton Mission. Whereas during
the year 1929, 931 expectant mothers attended the ante-natal centres of the
Council's scheme (including Eton Mission Centre), and no doubt a considerable
number of Hackney mothers attended voluntary centres not associated with the
Council's scheme—such as the Salvation Army Centres which, however, cater
for mothers living in many London Boroughs, only 553 of the 1,607 births in
the Mothers' Hospital during 1929 belonging to Hackney—the number of Hackney
births for 1929 was 3,423, of which about 2,000 were notified by midwives.
CENTRES AND CLINICS (ANTE-NATAL).
Brooksby's Walk Centre meets only once a fortnight.
Northwold Road, Lower Clapton Road and Rushmore Road meet once
weekly, two clinics (morning and afternoon) being held at Lower Clapton
Road on the same day.
Eton Mission Centre meets once weekly.
The returns show that the clinics, with the exception of Eton Mission, are
working at full capacity. During 1929, 244 clinics were held, 931 mothers
attended 3,105 times and 2,459 examinations were made by the doctors. It is
of no use for the Health Visitors to press mothers to attend clinics or to carry
on the "campaign of enlightenment" on the subject of ante-natal supervision
desired by the Ministry if the necessary clinic accommodation is not available.
A particularly unsatisfactory feature is the fortnightly opening of Brooksby's
Walk Centre; it is most difficult to carry on an ante-natal centre with such a
long interval as a fortnight between clinics. The Committee will remember that
the London County Council have agreed, in the Northwold Road Clearance Scheme,
to build a maternity and child welfare centre, and it is to be hoped that the possibility
of erecting buildings entirely for the purpose of maternity and child welfare work,
and, therefore, adequately equipped for all phases of this work, will be kept in mind
by the Maternity and Child Welfare and Housing Committees and the Borough
Council when considering slum clearance schemes. It is very rarely that an existing
building can be adequately adapted and equipped, and a considerable number
of London Boroughs have now specially built maternity and child welfare
centres. With the exception of Lower Clapton Road, centre premises in Hackney
are merely hired for the weekly occasion and obviously are unsatisfactory as
compared with premises reserved for maternity and child welfare work.