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54
Midwifery Service.
Midwives Act, 1936.—The scheme made by the London County Council
to give effect to the provisions of this Act received the approval of the
Minister of Health during the year. Under the Scheme, which came into
force on the 1st January, 1938, London is divided into five areas, Westminster
being included in Area "C" which also includes the boroughs of
Chelsea, Fulham, Hammersmith, Hampstead, Paddington and Kensington.
The object of the Scheme is to secure an adequate domiciliary midwifery
scheme throughout London, but so far as Westminster is concerned,
there has for many years been a complete and unified midwifery scheme
operating under the aegis of the City Council. The midwives of the
Westminster Hospital attend necessitous women on behalf of the City
Council throughout the greater part of the City and in the remainder the
midwives of the Westminster Health Society practice for the same
purpose.
Under the County Council's Scheme voluntary Associations and
Hospitals providing domiciliary midwifery service were given an
opportunity of entering into an agreement with the County Council for the
carrying out of midwifery services under which they were to be paid a
fixed sum per case attended, less any payments received from the borough
councils or any fees received from patients. Both the Health Society
and the Westminster Hospital have signed this agreement so that their
respective midwives have to conform to the requirements of the County
Council's scheme. It is a source of satisfaction to know that the County
Council's scheme has left undisturbed the smooth working of the City
Council's own scheme save that where the method of assessment of the
fees to be paid by patients was formerly made by the City Council, it now
has to be made in accordance with the County Council's rules.
The County Council found it unnecessary to employ any midwives in
Westminster additional to those already employed by voluntary bodies.
Treatment of Minor Ailments in Children of Pre-School Age.—During
the year the City Council entered into an arrangement with the London
County Council whereby children under school age attending the Council's
and the Westminster Health Society's Centres found to be suffering from
minor ailments, such as discharging ears, external eye diseases, such as
blepharitis and conjunctivitis, and skin diseases, such as impetigo and sores,
can be referred to certain school clinics in the City for treatment, the City
Council paying the County Council for these services an agreed sum per
case treated. The City Council has also made provision for the treatment