View report page

28
The scheme of the Local Government Board provides for the
institution of consultation centres, which may be more fitly termed
'Maternity Centres,' to which expectant mothers and mothers with
infants and little children may be referred for advice and treatment,
and this scheme also provides for a medical practitioner to be in
attendance at such centres, and also for the attendance at the centre
of members of the staff engaged in home visiting. Careful records,
for which the medical officer of the centre will be responsible, will
have to be kept and, in regard to children, the records should be in
such form that they may be subsequently available for the information
of the School Medical Officer when the child is entered at school.
All this is necessary to secure recognition by the Local Government
Board of the Council and the approved Associations and for
their participation in the benefits of the Grant, in which is included
half the salaries of the medical practitioners and qualified health
visitors employed in connection with the Scheme.
The Poplar Infant Care Association and the Royal College of
St. Katharine have been communicated with and informed of the
above facts, and they are at present considering the re-arrangement
of the existing ' maternity centres ' (so that each Association may
have its own ' Centres ') and the appointment of medical officers.
So far as Bow is concerned, there has been a 'Maternity Centre'
at the Roman Road Public Baths, where once a month, for the past
two and a half years, Dr. Eleanor Gorrie, of 78, Bow Road, has
voluntarily given her services, and it may be added, Dr. Gorrie has
also given her services at other 'centres' in the Borough. Dr.
Gorrie states that she is perfectly willing to continue to do this, and
will attend once a week, instead of once a month, at the Roman
Road Baths.
On a yearly average there are 1,200 births occurring in Bow,
of which 700 or 800 would be visited by the Council's Health Visitors,
and from the experience gained during the past seven years, during
which the Notification of Births Act has been in force, these two
Officers and the 'maternity centre' in Bow would be sufficient for
that district, more especially as the visiting work of the Council's
Health Visitors has been relieved by the establishment in the Borough
of St. Katharine's College with its staff of qualified health visitors.
Miss Hall, the Council's Senior Health Visitor will also be able to
carry out the necessary administrative work."
The Public Health and Housing Committee reported to the
Council that in the case of Miss Grant's settlement in Fern Street, this
would not in any case be recognised by the Local Government Board, the
Board being opposed to the splitting up of Districts into small areas.