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41
Maternity and Child Welfare.
The Council grant financial assistance to women who have
engaged trained midwives, other than the Muncipal midwives of
the London County Council, to attend them at their confinements
in their own homes, when they are unable to pay the whole of
the midwife's fee. The maximum grant payable is £1 15s.
Grants up to a maximum of £1 are also made to assist a
woman to pay the fee of a trained maternity nurse when a doctor
has been engaged to conduct the confinement. Sterile maternity
outfits are supplied when required.
The amount of assistance to be granted is determined by a
Sub-Committee of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee,
after the details of the family income have been investigated.
Assistance is only granted when the home conditions are suitable
for a confinement to take place there. The midwife must give
her patient adequate ante-natal supervision and must arrange
for her to attend an ante-natal Clinic as required. No unsuitable
handwoman is allowed to be in attendance on the patient.
During the year assistance was granted to 15 women under
this scheme and 10 maternity outfits were supplied.
In suitable cases the Council pays compensation to a midwife
who loses the case because her patient has to enter hospital for
the confinement. The usual sum paid in compensation is 10s.
No applications for compensation were received in 1940.
Home Helps.
Up to this year the voluntary Committees of three of the
Infant Welfare Centres have each employed Home Helps, the
Council paying the whole of the cost in two instances and a grant
of 75 per cent, of the expenditure in the third case. It has been
found unnecessary to keep this scheme in being thoughout 1940,
owing to lack of demand. The Council also contributes towards
the charges made by other suitable women who assist in the home
during confinements. The amount of grant to be paid is fixed by
the Sub-Committee. Assistance was granted in 53 cases in 1940
at a cost to the Council of £143 14s.