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London County Council 1934

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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59
The Board approved the arrangements made by the Council for providing, at
suitable intervals, a course of two lectures by two of the Council's medical officers
particularly associated with the supervision of midwives. This course of lectures is
provided four times a year for the instruction of pupils before each examination
of the Central Midwives Board for candidates for admission to the Midwives Roll.
Pupil midwives in training at the Council's hospitals and other institutions in London
are admitted to the courses, which are held at the County Hall. A certificate of
the attendance of a pupil at the course is signed by the Council's medical officer and
furnished to the Central Midwives Board. Pupils attending during the year numbered
755, compared with 701 in 1933.
The arrangement made at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health whereby
confidential reports are made on maternal deaths by medical officers of the Council
and are exchanged with the metropolitan borough medical officers of health as
described in the annual report for 1929, was continued during the year.
Maternal
mortality.
The Midwives Act, 1918, imposed upon the Council the duty of paying
fees to medical practitioners called in by midwives in cases of emergency. The
patient is required to reimburse the Council according to her means. The Minister
of Health has laid down a scale of fees to which local authorities must adhere.
Payment of
medical fees.
Claims accepted during the year numbered 3,119, compared with 3,172 in
1933, the total amount involved being £3,625, compared with £3,729 in
1933. The Midwives Act, 1926, fixed a limit of time, namely, two months from
the date of the first visit, within which a medical practitioner must submit his
claim. In pursuance of this provision, 42 claims amounting to £52 5s. 6d. were
refused during 1934.
The Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1927, came into operation on 1st July,
1928, and repealed Part II of the Midwives and Maternity Homes Act, 1926, and also
so much of any local acts as provided for the registration of maternity homes. The
Annual Report for 1928 (Vol. III, pp. 53-54) indicates fully the powers of the Council
under the Act.
Registration
of nursing
homes.
A nursing home is defined as " any premises used or intended to be used for the
reception of, and the providing of nursing for, persons suffering from any sickness,
injury or infirmity and includes a maternity home." The definition of a maternity
home is " any premises used or intended to be used for the reception of pregnant
women or of women immediately after childbirth." Consequently such premises
require registration as a maternity home even though the women go to some other
place for the actual confinement.
The number of nursing homes on the register on 1st January, 1934, was 224.
During the year 1934, 11 homes were added, of which 4 had applied during 1933,
and 1 in 1932, while 24 were removed on cancellation of the registration, leaving 211
on the register on 31st December, 1934. With one exception cancellations were
made at the request of the persons registered and/or upon change of ownership.
During the year the keeper of a nursing home was prosecuted for infringements
of the Council's by-laws in respect of the keeping of registers and receipt books.
The defendant gave an undertaking to observe the by-laws and the summons was
adjourned sine die on payment of £5 5s. costs to the Council.
There were 18 applications for registration during the year, of which, at the end
of the year, 2 had been withdrawn and 6 granted, 10 being still under consideration.
The general considerations taken into account by the Council in administering
the Act are fully described in the Annual Report for 1930 (Vol. III, Part I, pp. 53-54).
In 1934 the Council granted 112 exemptions from the provisions of the Nursing
Homes Registration Act, 1927, in respect of premises not conducted for profit. These
exemptions were for a period due to expire on 30th June, 1935, after which date the
exemption may be renewed at the discretion of the Council from year to year.
The homes have on the whole been satisfactorily conducted. Improvement
in the cleanliness, general orderliness and in the staff of homes has continued.
Some of the older homes have closed or have changed ownership. Upon
change of ownership the new owners were required to fulfil the requirements for a
" new " home.