London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wandsworth 1936

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wandsworth, Metropolitan Borough]

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Maternity and Child Welfare. 71
3. When conducting the confinement herself, the midwife
must give her patient adequate ante-natal supervision
and must arrange for the woman to be examined by th
Medical Officer of one of the Council's ante-natal clinics earl
in pregnancy and also at a later stage.
4. No unsuitable handywoman must be employed.
5. If a handywoman is in attendance, the midwife must
not allow her to examine the patient, to undertake any nursing
duties or to bathe the infant. It was also decided that
sterilized maternity outfits should be supplied to a midwife
by the Council when they are required.
The Council has al90 decided to pay compensation to a midwife
who loses her case because the woman who had booked her,
has to enter hospital for the confinement. The usual sum paid
in compensation is 10/-. The following conditions are required
to be satisfied before compensation is payable :—
1. The patient is required to confirm the statements
that she had engaged the midwife to attend the confinement
and had been referred by the midwife to the ante-natal clinic.
2. The Medical Officer of the clinic must certify that it is
necessary for the woman to be confined in an institution.
No payment is made to a midwife where the patient herself
applied for admission to an Institution.
During the year assistance was granted to 29 midwives under
this scheme and compensation was paid in five cases. The total
cost of the service was £50 1s. 0d. One sterilized maternity outfit
was supplied.
Day Nurseries.
There are three Day Nurseries in the Borough which are
voluntary institutions receiving grants from the Borough Council.
Their addresses are :—