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The increasing tendency of residents to seek accommodation in
institutions for their confinements was very obvious before the war. The
shortage of housing accommodation and domestic assistance has increased
this trend, to meet which not only is more maternity accommodation
required, necessitating building, but the corresponding nursing
and domestic staffs must be found or trained. Clearly time must elapse
before the demand for institutional confinements can be fully met, but
fortunately pending such provision the local Midwifery and Home Help
Services, which are rendering a most valuable service, can undertake
more work if required.
In view of the proportion of maternity cases who must travel outside
the Urban District for their confinements, the Council makes a uniform
charge of 5s. for each maternity case transported to or from any of the
County or London Hospitals. Cases confined at Nursing Homes are
charged at the normal ambulance rate.
Home Help Service.
The Council instituted a Home Help Service in 1920 but until 1944
assistance was limited to maternity cases.
During the winters of 1943/4 and 1944/5 voluntary assistance was
organised to assist residents during times of sickness and, following the
issue of the Ministry of Health Circular 179/44, dated the 14th December,
1944, additional Home and Domestic Helps were employed, largely
on a part-time basis, for cases in which sickness or old age made
assistance in the home essential.
From 1920 to 1941 only one permanent Home Help was employed
by the Council, occasional additional part-time help being obtained as
and when required. The number of cases in which assistance could be
given was relatively small and only 31 cases were attended in 1938.
Even in 1945, when a really determined effort was made to obtain additional
Home Helps, the number employed whole or part-time was not
more than six until the late summer, when a campaign in this and
neighbouring Districts resulted in the enrolment by this Council of at
least 17 Home Helps, which number has since been increased.
In October, 1945, the amount of organising work involved made it
impossible for the Senior Health Visitor to cope with this work in
addition to her other duties and the Council has since employed a halftime
paid Organiser, which arrangement has made it practicable to deal
with a larger number of cases much more adequately. While the
District has been fortunate in obtaining so much assistance, it appears
desirable for even larger numbers of Home Helps to be enrolled and
employed by the Council, particularly while the present shortage of
domestic assistance persists, in order to see that help is provided for
those cases most needing it, irrespective of their ability to pay fully the
cost of this Service.
Obstetric Specialists.
In 1934 the Council first appointed Obstetric Specialists, who were
attached to the London Hospitals, but these were called upon
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