View report page

Domiciliary Midwifery Service - The Midwifery Service has this year
improved slightly with the appointment of a Maternity Nurse to care for
early Hospital discharges in particular. Two vacancies on the Midwifery
Staff were also filled.
The number of patients being delivered in hospitals and being discharged
before their tenth day continues to increase.
The training of Pupil Midwives continues in conjunction with Barking
Hospital. With the closure of York House as a Nurses Residence it was no
longer possible to train Pupils from Waltham Forest Borough as accommodation
could no longer be provided.

Care of the Unmarried Mother - The Chelmsford Diocesan Moral Welfare
Association, acting on behalf of the Council, arranged for the comprehensive
care and confinement of 22 cases.
In addition 42 cases who made their own arrangements for confinement
were advised and assisted by the Association.
Child Health Centres - The review of infant welfare services foreshadowed
by the 'Sheldon Report' was undertaken during the year and a beginning was
made in the re-shaping of services to accord with changed needs and
conditions.
Emphasis was placed on the need for adequate facilities for undertaking
a more detailed and intense supervision of children's development and for
health education activities and parent counselling.
Certain premises were considered to be sub-standard for use as child
health centres and sessions were discontinued at Rush Green and Thompson
Road Clinics, and at Upney Clinic, where the Council's agreement with the
Regional Hospital Board for the joint use of the premises was about to
expire.
Patients attending these clinics were re-allocated to the purpose built
centres at Oxlow Lane, Becontree Avenue and Central Barking.
At the end of the year, the following centres were operating:-
28