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appeal direct to the Nursing Association or may obtain a
nurse through the Public Health Department. 217 cases
were nursed in 1930.
11. Institutions for Unmarried Mothers, Illegitimate infants and homeless
children.—The City Council has no institutions of this nature under its
control, but its public health services work in co-operation with three
voluntary institutions two of which are within the City, while the third
and largest, formerly in the City, was transferred in 1921 to Tulse Hill,
Lambeth.
These institutions are in effect rescue homes. Unmarried mothers
are admitted, usually some months before the birth of their children, and
do domestic work in the institutions or are trained in some special work.
The confinements take place there or in lying-in hospitals, in which latter
case the mothers return to the rescue homes and remain as a rule, during
the nursing period—some months. The L.C.C. now make annual grants
under the Discontinued Grants (Apportionment) (London) Order, 1930,
and in the case of St. John the Baptist Home, Tulse Hill, the City
Council contributes an annual sum of £100.
The L.C.C., in addition to their former duties under the Children Act,
1908, as regards boarded-out children, is now, under the Local Government
Act, 1929, obliged to exercise all the functions of the Guardians as regards
the provision of homes for illegitimate and homeless children. There are
no such institutions in Westminster.
12. Institutional Provision, if any, for the Care of Mental Defectives.—
The City Council has no powers under the Mental Deficiency Act. Provision
for such cases is made by the L.C.C. for the whole of London in its
various institutions.
13. Ambulance Facilities.—As from 31st March, 1930, the L.C.C.
took over the Ambulance Services of the Metropolitan Asylums Board
and also those of the various Boards of Guardians. The service has now
been fully co-ordinated and particulars regarding it have been furnished
to local authorities, medical practitioners, nursing associations and
midwives. The following is a summary of the circular in question
1.—Ambulances Supplied Without Payment.
The Council provides ambulances, free of cost, for the conveyance to—
A.—Hospitals or private residences of :—
(i) Persons meeting with accidents or suffering from sudden illnesses in the
streets, public places, places of employment, etc.;
(ii) Persons meeting with accidents in their homes ;
(iii) Persons suffering from illnesses in their homes if a medical practitioner
certifies that the case is one of life or death, that no other ambulance