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Prevention of break-up of families—The divisional co.ordinating committee met 23 times
under the chairmanship of the deputy divisional medical officer, Dr. Mary T. Paterson.
The work of the committee has been aided by the publication of a revised directory of all
the local statutory and voluntary agencies with, an interest in the co.ordination of services
designed to prevent neglect and ill.treatment of children and juvenile delinquency. Further, a
whole.time social case worker, and an assistant organiser of children's care work (seconded
for half.time duties) have been available under the general direction of the committee to
do intensive work with problem families.
DIVISION 3, comprising the boroughs of Finsbury, Holborn and Islington
Dr. W. G. Harding reports:
Maternity liaison committee—In accordance with the recommendations of the Maternity
Services (Cranbrook) Committee a maternity liaison committee was set up locally and
met for the first time on 30 September. Consultations between family doctors, hospital
consultants and the medical staff of the two local health authorities concerned—London
and Middlesex—previously took place regularly through the medium of the National
Health Service liaison committee for North Central London which covers the Northern
and Archway hospital groups. It is particularly encouraging that on the new liaison
body the two teaching hospitals most closely associated with the area, i.e., the Royal
Free hospital and University College hospital, are also represented.
Maternity beds—In spite of the relatively high provision of maternity beds in London,
the placement of priority cases and especially of patients in social need of hospital confinement
continues to present great difficulty in this area, and in many instances beds are
only secured via the Emergency Bed Service when labour commences. In June it was
decided to investigate 100 successive such cases resident in this division.

Some cases are recorded under more than one heading.
It will be seen that in only 14 of these 100 cases complications arose which rendered a
previously booked home confinement undesirable. In the remaining 86 cases the Emergency
Bed Service was used in order to secure hospital beds which were required on social grounds.
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