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(2) MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE SERVICES.
(a) Ante-Natal and post Natal Supervision.
In spite of the evacuation of many expectant
mothers the number of attendances at your clinics
amounted to 7,391, an increase of over 600 on the
figure for the previous year; the number of postnatal
attendances (401) was much the same as for the
previous year and the number of gynaecological
attendances (26l) rather less.
(b) Midwifery.
(1) Supervision. There were 15 midwives
practising in the Borough at the end of the year,
six of which were employed at the Upney Maternity
Pavilion.
During the year 1940, midwives sought medical
assistance in 223 cases; 22 of these were on behalf
of babies.
(2) Midwives Act, 1936. Upwards of 411 mothers
were delivered in Barking under your district midwifery
scheme during the year 1940. In addition 62 mothers
were delivered by doctors with district midwives acting
as maternity nurses.
(c) Upney Maternity Favilion.
454 patients were confined in Upney Maternity
Pavilion and 71 patients were admitted for ante-natal
treatment. In addition arrangements were made for a
block of twelve cubicles at the Barking Emergency
Hospital to be available for ante-natal treatment and
186 patients were admitted during the year to these
beds, two of them being confined there as emergency
cases.
(d) Evacuation.
It was impracticable to use the Twyford House
Emergency Maternity Home, Bishops Stortford, when
evacuation of expectant mothers started again in
September 1940, as this building had been damaged;
in consequence the Battlers Green Emergency Maternity
Home at Radlett was opened ori the 24th September 1940.
Up to the 31st December 1940, 45 mothers were evacuated
there, 31 of whom were confined during 1940.
The evacuation scheme provides for expectant
mothers to be evacuated one month before the expected
date of delivery, and at first the patients were placed
in various billets in the Radlett area. This scheme
did not prove very satisfactory however, and on the 27th
December 1940 the "Brown Gables" Ante-Natal Hostel was
opened and this is proving of much value and assistance
in the evacuation scheme.
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