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fact that in hospital there are better facilities at hand for treatment
in an emergency than are available at home, is influencing the
number of patients attended by midwives in private practice.
Consequently there is a growing feeling that it would be
better from every point of view for midwives engaged in district
work to be attached to institutions or to work in group associations
instead of practising independently.
Midwives' Payment Applications.
An application received during the year for payment of the
balance of the fee due to a midwife for professional services rendered
to a mother in necessitous circumstances was favourably considered
and the payment of £1 was authorised by the Maternity and Child
Welfare Committee.
Sterilised Maternity Outfits.
These outfits, for use by patients to be confined at home, can
be obtained at cost price on application to the Public Health
Department.
The demand was very disappointing, only two outfits being
sold throughout the year.
There was no request for the sterilisation of bed linen, a service
which is carried out free of cost.
Institutional Provision for Unmarried Mothers.
This Local Authority makes an annual contribution towards
the cost of the maintenance of unmarried Camberwell girls boarded
out by the Southwark Diocesan Association for Prevention and
Rescue Work.
During the year 14 Camberwell girls were placed in approved
Homes and Hostels.
The National British Women's Total Abstinence Union, who
received an annual grant of £100 in aid of their work from this
Authority, gave notice that they had decided to close their Hostel
"The House of Help," 201, Camberwell Grove, as from March 25th,
1933.
This Hostel provided for the reception of unmarried mothers
and their babies, and the reason assigned for the discontinuance of
their activities was the lack of applications for admission.