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65
A special enquiry was made during the year as to the amount of midwifery
work undertaken in registered nursing homes. The following information was
obtained :—
1934 1935
(1) Number of nursing homes with maternity beds registered 150 150
(2) Number of beds provided for maternity patients in such
nursing homes 1,299 1,310
Births
(3) Number of births in such nursing homes :— 1934 1935
(а) With doctor engaged to attend 2,797 2,954
(b) With State certified midwife (no doctor being in
dance) 899 1,174
(c) With State certified midwife and doctor summoned in
emergency by the midwife 99 98
Total 3,795 4,226
Midwifery in
registered
nursing
homes.
The first Maternity and Child Welfare Contributions (London) Scheme which
was made by the Minister of Health under section 101 (6) of the Local Government
Act, 1929, continued in force from 1st April, 1930, to 31st March, 1933, subject to
alterations made by the Minister of Health under section 131 (2) of that Act, and
fixed the amounts of the grants to be paid by the Council to the maternity and childwelfare
associations named in the first schedule to the scheme. Similar grants are
payable by the various Metropolitan Borough Councils to other child-welfare associations
in their boroughs. The money for these grants is contained in block grants
payable by the Ministry of Health to the Councils concerned.
Maternity
and childwelfare
work
by voluntary
associations.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Contributions (London) Schemes, 1930 and
1932, made by the Minister, covered the grant period which expired on 31st March,
1933.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Contributions (London) Schemes, 1933 and
1935, for the four years from 1st April, 1933 to 31st March, 1937, provide for payment
by the Council of grants in each of the financial years 1933-34, 1934-35, 1935-36,
1936 -37, to forty-nine voluntary associations. The current schemes provide for payment
by the Council of grants amounting to £31,587 in the year 1935-36. The grants
are payable on the conditions (inter alia):—
(i) That the Council is satisfied as to the efficiency of the maternity and
child-welfare service provided by the association in respect of which the contribution
is payable, and that such service is being used by a reasonable number
of those persons for whom it is provided ;
(ii) That no reduction or alteration of such service is made without the
consent of the Council.
It is necessary therefore that these associations should be inspected from time to
tims by the Council's officers. This work is performed by the medical staff engaged
on work under the Nursing Homes Registration Act, while it also involves the
employment of an inspector, who is detailed by the chief inspector from amongst
his staff.
During the year one baby home was closed and the baby home service was
transferred to other premises.
Increased grants were authorised in the case of one baby home and one mother
and baby home, both in respect of the provision of additional maternity and child
welfare services.
The Council pays a grant of £222 a year, as the agent of the Middlesex County
Council, to one association which has transferred the service of a branch home from
the county of Middlesex to premises within the administrative county of London.