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42
either from the Borough Councils or direct from the owners. The total number
of these "Rushcliffe premises" under the Council's control at 31st December, 1946,
was 38, and the number of midwives accommodated in them 48.
Lectures, etc.,
for midwives
Iwo courses of five post-certificate lectures each and five courses of four antenatal
and post-natal demonstrations were arranged in conjunction with the Middlesex
County Council and Surrey County Council during the year. The number of tickets
issued to midwives for attendance at the lectures was 377, and 60 for attendance
at the demonstrations. Five of the Council's domiciliary midwives attended the
summer schools arranged by the College of Midwives, and 70 pupil midwives were
accepted for district Part II training with the Council's domiciliary midwives.
Payment of
medical fees
Fees paid under the Midwives Act, 1918, to medical practitioners called in by
midwives in emergency amounted to £13,303 12s., and claims for fees paid were
8,351 in 1946, compared with £6,824 10s. and 4,530, respectively, for 1945.
During 1946 medical aid was summoned for either mother or child by the
Council's midwives in 22-13 per cent, of their cases, which compares with 20-05 per
cent, in the case of the voluntary hospital district midwives, and 32"63 per cent,
in the case of the district nursing association midwives.
Registration
of nursing
homes
There were 101 nursing homes on the register at the end of the year, compared
with 108 at the end of 1945. Of the nursing homes registered at the end of the
year, 38 were temporarily closed, compared with 40 at the end of 1945. There
were 6 new registrations during the year. There were 72 exemptions granted from
the operation of Part XI of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936. Nursing homes
are experiencing the prevalent difficulty in replacing linen and equipment, but otherwise
the general standard is reasonably maintained.
Maternity
and child
welfare
work of
voluntary
associations
Grants paid to voluntary maternity and child welfare associations during the
year 1946, under section 101 (6) of the Local Government Act, 1929, amounted to
£24,793, compared with £20,967 in 1945. Increased grants were made to some
associations to meet higher costs. Thirty-five associations were grant-aided during
the year, of which 6 were maternity hospitals, 16 mother and baby homes, 5 babj
homes and 7 district midwifery practices. During the year one mother and baby
home re-opened, and negotiations were begun regarding the opening of three other
mother and baby homes or baby homes.
Government
grant
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, to certain mother and baby homes and to certain baby homes, towards
the cost of applying the recommendations of the Midwives and Nurses Salaries
Committees (Rushcliffe). This request was implemented, with the assistance of the
Central Council for District Nursing in London in the case of the associations ; and,
£15,829 12s. 3d. was authorised to be paid to associations for the year ended
31st March, 1947, compared with £6,336 10s. in 1945-46. The amount paid to mother
and baby homes and to baby homes for the year ended 31st March, 1946, was
£436 lis. 3d., compared with £553 Is. for the years 1943-44 and 1944-45, part of which
was on account of Government grant and part direct assistance from the Council.
Care of
illegitimate
children
In accordance with Ministry of Health circular 2866/43, dated 16th November,
1943, on the care of illegitimate children, a joint advisory body was set up under
the chairmanship of the Chief Officer of Social Welfare, consisting of officers of the
Council and the Metropolitan Borough Councils, and of representatives of the
voluntary organisations concerned. The advisory body has dealt with (i) a scheme
of guaranteed payments to foster-mothers ; (ii) increased financial assistance to
voluntary organisations ; (iii) residential nursery places for illegitimate children,
and (iv) homes for mothers in the late stages of pregnancy and immediately after
confinement. A large proportion of the accommodation for the children has been
provided in the Council's hospital nurseries in and outsid London, where nursing