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The practice of following up all such notifications by enquiries
of the mother had to be discontinued, as it was found that the information thus obtained was, in the majority of cases, quite
unreliable.
The total attendances at the ante-natal clinics number 479,
but this figure is by no means an index of the extent of the medical
supervision in the Borough of the mother during pregnancy. A
considerable amount of the work which might reasonably be expected
would be done at the ante-natal clinics is carried out by the general
hospitals adjacent to the Borough boundaries, a fact which undoubtedly
had some bearing on the decision to close the clinic at
the United Girls' School Settlement School for Mothers during the
year, where a small attendance was' recorded. It must not be
thought, however, that the closing of the clinic in question deprives
any mother living in this area from receiving medical supervision
if required, as the Council asked the authorities of the School to
co-operate with them by sending their cases to the Municipal
ante-natal clinic at 140, Camberwell Road.
The advent of the ante-natal clinic only dates a few years,
but its importance cannot be over-estimated. I do submit that
such a high still-birth rate as at present prevailing would not continue
if a more general use were made of the facilities available for the
mothers of to-day.
Homes for Unmarried Mothers.
As in the case of the other voluntary institutions subsidised
by the Council, the annual grants were renewed to the Southwark
Diocesan Association for Preventive and Rescue Work Home, 24,
De Crespigny Park, and the National British Women's Temperance
Association Hostel for Mothers and Babies, 201, Camberwell Grove.
Both institutions provide accommodation for the unmarried
mother and her infant, and the total number of cases received
in the Homes during the year was 62, at each institution the
number of cases recorded as dealt with being 31.
Day Nursery.
The Council have continued to subsidise the Peckham, Nunhead
and District Day Nursery, 109, Gibbon Road, and in July last,
acting on a report, of the Council's representative on the Committee
of the Institution, an additional grant of £100 was made to further
the work of the creche, and to enable adjustments to be made to
the wages paid to the staff.
The usefulness of the Institution was well maintained, providing
daily accommodation for infants and young children whose mothers
are obliged to engage in daily work, and although the nursery was
closed for a period of one month owing to illness of the staff, and
on another occasion due to an outbreak of measles, 2,657 attendances
were recorded for the year.