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Hospitals. The principal hospitals used by Finsbury residents are;-
General Hospitals
St. Bartholomew's, E.C.I.
Royal Free Hospital, Gray's Inn Road, W.C.I.
University College Hospital, Gower Street, W.C.I.
Hospital for Sick Children, Gt. Ormond Street, W.C.I.
Special Hospitals
City of London Maternity Hospital, 102, City Road, E.C.I.
Royal London Ophthalmic Hospital, City Road, E.C.I.
St. Mark's Hospital for Diseases of the
Rectum, City Road, E.C.I.
Voluntary Dispensaries. There are four voluntary dispensaries which do
extensive work in Finsbury
Fins bury Dispensary, Friend Street, E.C.I.
Royal General Dispensary, Bartholomew Close, E.C.I.
City of London and East London Dispensary, 40 Wilson St., E.C.2.
Cecile Booysen Clinic, 39, Spencer Street, E.C.I.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
Midwifery Scheme. Domiciliary Midwifery is under the control of the London
County Council. In-patient Midwifery is arranged under agreements with the
Borough Council and St. Bartholomew's, City of London Maternity and the Royal
Northern Hospitals. The total number of cases admitted for confinement in 1939
was 187. Ante-natal attendances numbered 3,086: post-natal attendances 876.
Midwifery Consultants. The Council maintains a panel of midwifery consultants.
Emergency obstetric units are maintained by the University college Hospital & St.BartS.
Extra Nourishment Grants - the Council have maintained their Scheme for the grants
of extra nourishment to expectant and nursing mothers and children under 5 years
of age. Dinner grants during 1939 numbered 1,399 and grants of milk 3,273. Dried
milk grants numbered 634.
Home Helps. The Council maintains a panel of Home Helps to assist in the homes of
necessitous mothers during their confinement.
Convalescent Treatment. The Council provided convalescent treatment for 10 mothers.
For this purpose a bed normally is reserved at St. Mary's Convalescent Home, Birchington.
From the outbreak of war it was not possible for further cases to be taken
at Birchington or elsewhere, however, the position of the Homes rendering it
impossible for them to carry on their normal services.
Day Nursery. The Council's Day Nursery, which operated successfully for many years
at 42, Lloyd Baker Street, was upon the outbreak of war evacuated under the Government
Scheme to Taplow Court, Nr. Maidenhead. Four Day Nurseries in all were
housed in these premises under the Scheme. It soon became apparent, however, that
Taplow Court was a most unsuitable place for the purpose, both on account of the
unsuitable arrangement of the rooms, halls and passages, and also the fact that the
housing of a large number of children in improvised premises led to many difficulties.
Successful administration, largely by reason of the fact that four Day
Nurseries, each with its own system of control were suddenly brought together
under one administration, was difficult, and there was the tendency for infectious
and contagious complaints to spread rapidly amongst the large number of very young
children housed in one premises which were not specially designed to deal with
this contingency. Later, in response to the kindly offer of Dr. Dunscombe, the
late Medical Officer of Health, the Nursery was evacuated from Taplow Court to his
house at Chalford Hill, near Stroud, Gloucestershire. By the close of the year,
however, it appeared that a further evacuation to more suitable premises was
desirable.