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28
Domiciliary
midwifery
service—
voluntary
organisations
to a lesser and varying extent, and some have been damaged more than once.
Fortunately, only eight midwives had to go off duty owing to injury or shock, and
none was absent for more than 39 days.
The number of district confinements undertaken by the voluntary organisations
included in the Council's domiciliary midwifery service also showed a reduction
compared with the figures for 1943. These numbers, together with those for 1938,
were as follows:-
Maternity
nursing cases
Midwifery
cases
Total
Grand
Total
1938
Voluntary hospitals domiciliary service 251 5,484 5,735
District nursing associations 606 1,158 1,764
7,499
1943
Voluntary hospitals domiciliary service 95 3,583 3,678
District nursing associations 361 1,556 1,917
5,595
1944
Voluntary hospitals domiciliary service 83 2,948 3,031
District nursing associations 329 1,323 1,652
4,683
Payment of
medical fees
The reduction in confinements compared with 1943 was also due to the VI
and V2 attacks on London. The branch home of one district nursing association
was demolished by a V2 bomb, and I regret that one midwife was killed.
Fees paid under the Midwives Act, 1918, to medical practitioners called in by
midwives in emergency amounted to £5.793 12s. 6d. and claims for fees paid were
3.875.
Registration
of nursing
homes
There were 118 nursing homes on the register at the end of the year, compared
with 116 at the end of 1943. These numbers include homes closed temporarily
owing to the war. Of the nursing homes registered at the end of the year, 44 were
temporarily closed.
Maternity
and child
welfare
work of
voluntary
associations
Grants paid to voluntary maternity and child welfare associations during
the year 1944 under Section 101 (6) of the Local Government Act, 1929, amounted
to £20,806, compared with £21,098 in 1943. Thirty-five associations were grantaided
during the year, of which 6 were maternity hospitals, 16 mother and baby
homes, 6 baby homes and 7 district midwifery practices. Of these associations, 13
Government
grant to
district
nursing
associations
were functioning in London, 18 in the country, and 4 in both London and the country.
In circular 32/44, dated 13th March, 1944, the Ministry of Health asked the
Council to make payments on account of the Government grant to district nursing
associations towards the cost of applying the recommendations of the Nurses' Salaries
Committees (Rushcliffe). This request was implemented, with the assistance of
the Central Council for District Nursing in London, and payments on account of
£4,666 and £8,556 for the financial years 1943-44 and 1944-45, respectively, were
sanctioned on 31st May, 1944, and 3rd October, 1944.
Medical examination of staff
The number of references made to the department for medical examination or
advice concerning the health of staff and of members of the civil defence services was
15,072, compared with 14,294 in 1943. The sick parade at the Council's hospitals
was continued for the civil defence services, and the numbers involved are not
included above, apart from 1,695 employees of doubtful fitness, who were referred
to the Council's examining medical officer.
Reciprocity has been maintained with provincial medical officers of health
whereby London personnel staying in the provinces and provincial personnel
temporarily resident in London are examined locally. The number of patients
so examined is small (19) but the procedure serves a useful purpose and is much
appreciated.