View report page

17
being dependent automatically on the Ministry of Health grants and
being 75 per cent. of such Government grants.
In the case of the Council's Maternity Home the Council pays the
total expenses in the first instance, and the Ministry of Health repays
to the Council up to 50 per cent. of such expenses (if approved).
In addition, the Council makes special donations towards
inauguration (equipment, etc), in connection with newly-started
voluntary welfare centres, or centres that have removed to new
premises, which are better suitable for administrative purposes, or
enlargement of existing centres' premises subject to such newlystarted
or new or enlarged premises being approved as part of the
Council's Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme, and subject to the
previous sanction of the Ministry of Health. The statistics of work
done by the voluntary Welfare Centres during the year 1926, are
satisfactory, and include a large number of visits and re-visits paid
by Health Visitors and are specially noteworthy as showing what
can be accomplished by voluntary workers throughout a district such
as the Borough, and how municipal and voluntary organisations can
work together, with great value to the community. Voluntary help
is a very valuable asset in Public Health Administration especially in
so far as maternity and child welfare is concerned, and should be used
to the utmost by a Sanitary Authority, subject, of course, to such
voluntary work being properly organised. The difficulty is to obtain
suitable voluntary workers for the purpose in sufficient numbers.
Prior to the inauguration of the Lambeth Maternity and Child
Welfare Scheme in 1916, welfare work had been accomplished for
many years previously by voluntary organisations and general hospitals
(maternity departments), not only within the new Borough of Lambeth
but also within the old Parish of Lambeth. This voluntary work
required to be consolidated and attached to the official general public
health work of the District under the Medical Officer of Health, if the
maximum amount of benefit and advantage were to be obtained. This
amalgamation of the work took time and was slow but sure, and finally
was crystalised into a scheme, which was approved by the Ministry of
Health as the Lambeth Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme, under
the provisions of the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918. It is to
be hoped that such scheme will long continue in existence throughout
the Borough—a scheme that has already mote than justified itself by
the results that have been actually obtained in welfare work (as shewn
by statistics).
Lambeth Milk Assistance Scheme (Free or Aided Supplies).
The Lambeth Milk Assistance Scheme is still in existence, but the
amount of milk distributed thereunder, and the numbers of expectant
and nursing mothers and children under 5 years of age benefited have
been correspondingly reduced on account of the lowness of the present
income-limit allowed by the Ministry of Health on the alleged ground of
national economy. It is doubtful if that is the sort of economy that
will pay the Nation. The Old Milk Orders and the unrestricted
Milk Assistance Scheme had proved, beyond doubt, since 1918, the
B