View report page

119
Arrangements were made for an ambulance to remove patients to
the Home if required by telephone between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., the
London County Council Ambulance Service to do the work without
fee. In each case a card was given to the expectant mother with full
directions as to calling the ambulance. The establishment of the
Home was not without interest to medical men practising in the
Borough. Two medical representatives came before the Committee,
and amongst other things suggested that any patient should be attended
by her own doctor in the Home. The Committee did not sustain this
plea, but agreed that any case recommended by a local medical
practitioner for admission would be favourably considered. It was
agreed that if an occasion arose when an anaesthetic was required, a
medical practitioner living in the immediate vicinity should be called
in.
Provision was made for a Register of cases to be kept on the table
at the Committee meetings, and for a return to be made of the cost of
the Home, a capital account and an account of running expenses, so
that the financial position might be understood. From this it became
clear that if the Home was full, that is if 286 cases were received
during the year, the actual cost to the rates of the Home would be
considerably less than one farthing. The purchase price of the Home was
£ 1,800, the cost of alteration £"2,400. Considerable attention was gi ven
to the medical arrangements in connection with the Home. The matron
and staff, in addition to being trained nurses, hold the Certificate of
the Central Midwives Board.
Dr. Hill, the Maternity and Child Welfare Medical Officer, lives
opposite the Home and is available in any case requiring her services ;
she also visits the Home daily. In the event of any case occurring
where two doctors might be required, a very rare eventuality, a
rota of local doctors was formed. Medical men who were willing to
attend were placed on the rota, the principal condition being that they
should be on the telephone. Each doctor in turn acts for a week, and
is provided with a rota calendar indicating his particular weeks of duty.
The rota doctors only cost the Borough two guineas for the first
eighteen months the Home was open. It was further resolved that
arrangements should be made for the services of a consultant in the
event of an emergency calling for a specialist's attention, and to this
end an agreement was made with Dr. Gilliatt, an obstetrician on the