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58
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The composition of the Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme now in existence
has been very frequently described in annual reports and more particularly in that
for 1919. As is well known, it contains voluntary and official elements. Of the
voluntary elements, to the nature of which reference is made later, those for
which the St. Marylebone Health Society is responsible bulk largest, and the
Council and the inhabitants of the Borough are greatly indebted to this body and
those who work for it for what they have done and what they are doing in
relation to maternity and child welfare.
Apart from the Health Society, however, there are other bodies that assist, and
that are more or less definitely linked up to the main scheme, the connecting link
being the Public Health Department of the Council. Amongst these bodies maybe
mentioned Queen Charlotte's Hospital and Middlesex Hospital, which in addition
to providing lying-in accommodation, arrange for attention to be given to out door
patients as well, and conduct ante-natal clinics and infant consultations. More
recently there has been established at the Western General Dispensary a special
clinic for children under Dr. Myers which has done and is doing most useful work.
Less definitely part of the scheme, but still doing very valuable work and helping
whenever possible, are St. Agatha's Home, The Home of the Little Company of
Mary, and The Home of the St. Marylebone Female Protection Society, where
unmarried mothers particularly are provided for, both before and after the birth of
their child. A special feature is made at St. Agatha's of keeping the mother and
child together for at least three to six months after the birth, and of endeavouring to
arrange that they shall be together after leaving the home. On several occasions
places on the domestic staff of one or other of the institutions—day nurseries, for
example—within the scheme, have been found for mothers from the home.
The following summaries give a number of details with regard to the arrangements
under the scheme and of the extent of the work done during 1920. It will be
noted that at the end of the year there were available seven centres where attention
was given to infant and child welfare, and if those at the hospitals are included four
ante-natal clinics. At some of the centres consultations are held every day, sometimes
twice a day. In addition to the ordinary infant and young child ("toddlers")
consultations, there is a dental clinic for mothers and young children, open on four
days, for two of which the Health Society is responsible, and a nursing home for
babies to which the Council now make a contribution of ^1,000 per annum. By
arrangement with the London County Council the dental clinic is used also by
school children, and in conjunction with this there is now also a minor ailment
treatment centre for school children.
The summary referred to above is based upon a return formerly called for by
the Local Government Board and is given here because it is convenient as showing
the elements in the scheme.
Health Visitors.—There are seven health visitors. One acts exclusively as
tuberculosis health visitor; two give whole time to health visiting and work, one at
the centre in Salisbury Street, the other at Crawford Street. Four are part time
health visitors, holding appointments also as sanitary inspectors. Voluntary workers
of the St. Marylebone Health Society also do visiting in co-operation with the work
of the Council. The Borough for the purpose of health visiting is divided into four
districts, and in 1920 the health visitors made 10,601 visits to infants, and the
voluntary visitors attached to the schools for mothers made 5,247 visits to infants ;
children are visited up to school age.
Centres.—There are in all seven centres, all "voluntary," at which consultations
are held. Five of these are under the Health Society, viz.:—(l) North Marylebone
School of Mothercra/t, Salisbury Street, has an ante- and post-natal consultation