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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 responsibility of nursing. Under the Welfare Scheme grants are made on behalf
of the Foundation towards the cost of hire or supply of special equipment, linen,
bedding etc.
A grant is made by the Council to the Foundation.
DOMICI LIARY MIDWIFERY SERVICE
The Council operates a domiciliary 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 employs 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 with 4 pupils 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 194 home confinements
attended by the Midwives. Four general practitioners from practices in the Borough
provided ante-natal care, with midwives, at four of 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 during the year their intention to
practice as midwives within the Borough, including those in hospitals was 127, the
number practising at the end of the year being 80.
MATERNITY LIAISON COMMITTEES
The department is represented on local maternity liaison committees by the
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