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practitioner, district nurse or hospital medico-social worker, etc., free of charge for an
indefinite period to persons being nursed in their own homes. The Council purchased many items of
additional equipment required to meet requests for loans. In addition equipment is loaned by
the British Red Cross Society and by the Council's Welfare Department to handicapped persons.
Statistics on page 98.
MARIE CURIE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
The Council participates in both schemes operated by the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation
for the welfare of persons suffering from cancer who are being nursed in their own homes, namely
the Day and Night Nursing Service and the Area Grant Welfare Scheme. Nurses and/or ''sitters-in''
are provided for short periods to patients who live alone and to others to enable relatives to
obtain adequate rest periods from the responsibi1ity of nursing. Under the Wei fare Scheme grants
are made on behalf of the Foundation towards the cost of hire or supply of special equipment,
1inen, bedding etc.
A grant is made by the Council to the Foundation.
DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY SERVICE
The Council operates adomiciliary midwifery service under Section 23 of the National Health
Service Act 1946, by an arrangement for utilising the services of midwives employed by the London
Hospital and the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine. In addition the Council directly emp toys
the non-medical supervisor of midwives.
The joint scheme for training midwives by the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine and
the Mile End Hospital, continued during the year. Pupils who completed the course numbered 16
with4pupils under training at the end of the year. The Council pays to the hospital 40 per cent
of the expenditure involved under the provisions of the Ministry of Health Circular 8/56.
There were 233 home confinements attended by the Midwives. • Four general practitioners from
practices in the borough provided ante-natal care, wi th midwives, at fourof the Council's clinics.
(Statistics on page 99),
MIDWIVES ACT, 1951
The Council is a local supervising authority under the Midwives Act 1951, supervising
functions being carried out by the Council's non-medical supervisor of midwives. The number
of midwives who notified their intention to practice as midwives within the borough, including
those in hospitals: , and who were practising at the end of the year was 111.
MATERNITY LIAISON COMMITTEES
The department is represented on local maternity liaison committees by the medical officer
of health or deputy medical officer of health and the non-medical supervisor of midwives or the
principal nursing officer. As the borough is served by two hospital management committees, there
are separate maternity liaison committees for each group catchment area.
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