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THE HEALTH OF BARKING
to Barking to work under the supervision of one of your sister-midwives. For
twenty years the Salvation Army have played their part in providing a midwifery
service in the eastern part of the Borough and I should like to record our appreciation
of their work.
Under the National Health Service Act, 1946, all district midwives in the County
Area will be employed directly by the Essex County Council from the 5th July, 1948.
This will mean we shall have to say goodbye also to the Plaistow Maternity Hospital
and District Nurses' Home who since 1923 have undertaken midwifery work in
Barking and I should like to place on record our deep gratitude for the work they
have carried on during the past twenty-five years.
Until the last quarter of the year, the difficulties of obtaining sufficient midwives
meant serious overwork to your staff. In the light of this the maternal mortality
figure reflects great credit on your midwives.
Of the 909 cases delivered on the district during 1947, 315 cases were helped
through the birth by gas and air. This compares with 304 cases in 1946. Other
cases were given different types of pain relieving medicaments.
The nature of attendance on mothers since 1940 is shown in Appendix B,
Table V. From this table it will be seen that the majority of mothers are attended
either by a midwife on the district or are admitted to Upney Hospital.
Ante-Natal Service. This service sets out firstly to promote the general health
of the expectant mother and secondly to deal with any social or medical difficulties
in the way of her having a baby.
Everything is done to ensure that the mother gains in knowledge and confidence
through her visits so that at the time of the confinement she, knowing what is going
to happen and why, will have an infinitely smoother, less painful and safer labour.
Cases are not infrequently taken into the Barking Hospital for a few days rest
and treatment during pregnancy and this facility greatly assists in making an
efficient ind safe service.
Post-Natal Clinics. I regret to say that only just under one thousand women
attended your post-natal clinics. This, of course, is well over half of all women
confined during the year but it is still not enough. It is difficult to understand
why there is prejudice against being examined post-natally. The fact is that the
women if Barking are so keenly alive to the interests of their expected children
and of their children, they will go out of their way to obtain the services you have
made available. For themselves, however, they are not prepared to make the same
sacrifice and there can be no doubt, if we are to win these people, the post-natal
service must be made even more available than it is to-day. We must have better
facilities for these people to be examined expertly under conditions which will
attract them, which of course is not practicable to-day having regard to the
difficulties relating to premises and establishment.
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