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HOME HELPS:
In June 1944 the Council extended the Home Help Scheme to include the provision
of Home Helps to women incapacitated by illness not associated with pregnancy and who
had children under five in their care, in addition to providing Home Helps to confinement
cases and women incapacitated daring pregnancy.
Authority was given in 1943 for the appointment of three whole-time Home Helps,
but at that time it was only possible to appoint one of these. During l944 three
whole-time continuously employed Home Helps were engaged, but the. same difficulties
as in previous war years continued to be experienced in obtaining suitable women for
inclusion on the Panel of Home Helps for intermittent work under the. Scheme, Neverthe[???],
169 cases were attended during the year, the cost to the Council being
£935. 1s. 10d.
SUPPLY OF SUPPLEMENTARY QUANTITIES OF MILK TO MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN:
As set out in the Annual Report of last year, under the National Milk Scheme
certain quantities of liquid or Dried Milk are supplied to all expectant mothers
and children under 5, either at 2d. a pint for liquid milk or 1s. 2d. for dried
milk, or free, according to the Ministry of Food Assessment Scale. Children up to
the age of 12 months are also eligible for a supplementary quantity, of liquid or
dried milk, and in respect of those eases where the first pint or packet is assessed
as free, the Council have agreed to pay the cost of the supplementary quantity.
During 1944, the total quantity of milk supplied in this way and paid for by the
Council was:-
Pints of Milk 7,590-£136. 3s. 3¼3.
No. of Recipients-233. Lbs. of Dried-Milk 3,138¼-£146. 9s. 6d.
SUPPLY OF VITAMIN PREPARATIONS FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS AND CHILDREN UNDER 5:
The Voluntary Welfare Centres continued to act as Distributing Centres on
behalf of the Ministry of Food in connection with Vitamin products, in the form of
Cod Liver Oil Compound and Orange Juice, for Expectant Mothers and Children under
Five.
PRIORITY DOCKETS FOR SHEETS FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS:
Owing to the acute difficulty of obtaining utility sheets, the Ministry of
Health, in conjunction with the Board of Trade, initiated a scheme for the supply
of priority dockets to expectant mothers being confined at home, to enable them
to have priority in the purchase of utility sheets from retailers, and Maternity
and Child Welfare Authorities were asked to issue these dockets on a certificate,
from a certified midwife.
The issue of the dockets commenced in November, 1944, and up to the end of the
year 53 dockets we're issued, to 23 mothers.
MATERNITY HOSPITAL GRANTS:
Contributions for Maternity cases admitted to beds at Maternity Hospitals at the
rate of 10s, per case for a percentage of notified births were made as follows:-
University College Hospital 129 cases.
Royal Free Hospital 86 cases.
ADDITIONAL MATERNITY SCHEME:
Owing to the acute shortage of beds in London Hospitals for confinement cases,
the London County Council, in co-operation. with Metropolitan Boroughs, initiated an
Additional Maternity Bed Scheme for these case requiring Hospital confinements who
could not otherwise obtain admission to a Hospital. The Islington Borough Council,
under this Scheme, was allocated 4 beds per month (total of 8 cases) at the Royal
Northern Hospital and 6 beds per month (total of 12 cases) at the Mothers Hospital,
Clapten, the booking of these beds to be arranged through the Medical Officer of
Health.
The Additional Maternity Bed Scheme commenced in July, 1944 and up to the end of
the year 35 bookings had been arranged at the Royal Northern Hospital, and 30
bookings at the Mothers' Hospital.
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