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12
Professional Nursing in the Home.
As in past years, the Kensington district nursing association continued to carry out
professional nursing in the homes of the poor. The number of cases nursed during 1935 was
1,885 and the number of visits paid was 45,571.
The following is a table of cases attended and visits paid by nurses of the association on
behalf of the council from the 1st January to the 31st December, 1935:—
Cases. Visits.
Maternity cases 51 896
Miscarriages 39 523
Pneumonia (5 years of age and over) 43 785
„ (under 5 years of age) 17 354
Ophthalmia neonatorum and other inflammations of the
eyes of newly-born children 28 560
Influenza (5 years of age and over) 39 441
„ (under 5 years of age) 7 90
Enteritis and diarrhoea 72 750
Tuberculosis (5 years of age and over) 24 1,001
„ (under 5 years of age) — —
Measles (5 years of age and over) — —
„ (under 5 years of age) 3 45
Whooping cough (5 years of age and over) — —
„ „ (under 5 years of age) 4 51
Erysipelas 2 14
Acute rheumatism 11 563
Puerperal pyrexia 2 24
Scarlet fever 1 5
Pemphigus 4 76
Totals 347 6,178
For the splendid services rendered, the council paid to the association in 1935 a grant of £325.
Midwifery Arrangements.
The Queen Charlotte's Hospital authorities maintain a district nurses' home in Ladbroke Grove,
North Kensington, and during 1935 members of the staff conducted 541 confinements, of which 516
were in Kensington homes.
For some years past a difficulty has been experienced in connection with domiciliary
midwifery in South Kensington because the cases arising in poorer homes are widely scattered
over the entire southern half of the borough, and there is no area which provides a
sufficient number of cases to enable a midwife in private practice to earn a reasonable
living. During the course of the year the council resolved to overcome this difficulty by
appointing a municipal midwife. This midwife started work in September, and has been
provided with quarters at the South Kensington infant welfare centre, 10, Redcliffe Street, which is
a most convenient position for her work in South Kensington. It took some little time for her to
become known, and she conducted only 4 confinements between the date of her appointment and the
end of the year. However, her services have been in greater demand since the end of 1935. She
helps at the sessions at the South Kensington centre, and undertakes home visiting in connection
with the ante-natal clinics held there. Her appointment supplies a need which had been felt for some
time for a midwife who could undertake cases at a charge low enough for the poorer residents of South
Kensington. Each case booked is submitted to the Maternity and Child Welfare (Applications)
Sub-Committee, who decide the fee to be paid for the midwife's services. The maximum fee is two
guineas, and assessments are made according to the family income.
St. Mary's Hospital undertake a number of cases in North Kensington in connection with the
teaching of medical students, and the maternity nursing of these cases is carried out by the Kensington
district nursing association.
The council maintain a maternity home with ten beds, the London county council have 71
beds at St. Mary Abbots Hospital for the confinement of poor women, and the Princess Beatrice
Hospital in South Kensington has a maternity ward.
It will be seen that these facilities, combined with those provided by private doctors and
midwives and outlying hospitals, are adequate to the needs of the borough.