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The chief purpose of these Clinics is to ensure that those prospective
mothers who would not otherwise obtain supervision during the antenatal
period by a qualified medical practitioner can secure this service.
The result is that almost all cases which attend are subsequently confined
by midwives in their own homes or at Purley Hospital, or are admitted
to Queen Charlotte's or the County Hospital, Redhill. In the latter
cases much closer supervision is possible, and at less inconvenience
than would occur if the patient had to travel to London or Redhill for
ante-natal treatment.
Efforts continue to be made to secure much closer co-operation
between the various agencies concerned, and with the advent of a recognised
midwifery service covering the whole district, the Clinics will
continue to provide a most useful sendee, although the numbers attending
may not greatly increase. Complicated cases are referred to their own
doctors or to the Council's Obstetric Specialists when this is desirable
in the interests of the patient.
Ante-natal mothers continue to be supplied with cow's milk free
of charge if the financial circumstances warrant this action, while dental
treatment is also arranged if necessary at reduced cost, the latter being
extended during the year to include the provision of dentures.
Post-Natal Clinic.
A Post-natal Clinic has been established by the Council the first
session being held in July, 1937, and is held at 69, Brighton Road, Purley,
on the 3rd Monday in each month.
The purpose underlying the establishment of this Clinic is to encourage
all mothers who would not otherwise secure a post-natal
examination by a doctor to do so. A minimum of one examination at
the end of the lying-in period by the doctor attending the confinement,
and another at about six weeks after the birth has occurred are desirable.
If all the mothers who attend the Ante-natal Clinics re-attend after
their confinements, the Ante-natal Clinics would become overcrowded,
hence the special Post-natal Clinic was started.
The numbers attending have fully justified the one session per month
which is now held. In practice, while the majority of post-natal cases
attending the Brighton Road Clinic arrive on that day, as is desirable,
others can only attend at the normal ante-natal sessions. This is, however,
counterbalanced by some ante-natal mothers attending at the
Post-natal Clinic. Fundamentally, the anomaly which appears to exist
in the following Table relates only to the nomenclature of the Clinics.
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