View report page

65
Maternity and Child Welfare.
years. The staff consists of a Matron, one Sister, two Assistant
Nurses and three Probationers. A Visiting Medical Officer attends
daily. The standard fee is 10s. 6d. per week, but necessitous
cases are admitted free, or at a reduced fee, according to circumstances.
Medical practitioners can recommend children for admission
and are allowed to attend them while in the Hospital.
132 infants were admitted in 1934, 77 from addresses in the
Borough and 45 from outside the Borough. Most of the cases
were infants suffering from Marasmus, Debility, Respiratory
Diseases and Enteritis.
There is one other large institution in the Borough which
accommodates 60 children up to the age of five years.
There are also five institutions or hostels for the reception
of expectant unmarried mothers, all in connection with rescue
work. In two of them the mothers are admitted some months
previous to the confinement, while in three they are admitted
towards the end of pregnancy. In most of these homes the
mothers are expected to remain some months after confinement.
Arrangements have been made for medical practitioners to attend
at these hostels when necessary, and some of the infants attend
the most convenient Infant Welfare Centre.
The Council pays grants to the Southwark Diocesan Association
for Preventive and Rescue Work, towards the maintenance
of unmarried mothers usually resident in the Borough in the
institutions of the Association. During 1934 assistance was
granted in respect of 11 cases, at a cost of £78 18s. 8d.
Similar grants are made to the Mission of Hope, and two
cases were assisted at a cost of £5 7s. Id.
Convalescent Homes.
During the year two mothers and 18 children were sent to
Convalescent Homes. The cost of this was £40 10s.
F