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now three sessions a week, one for women and two for men. The
great difficulty in all Venereal Diseases Schemes is the cessation
of attendance by patients before they are properly cured, and
although additional facilities for attendances will not overcome the
difficulty it will do something towards lessening it.
Maternity and Child Welfare.— The chief event during the year
was the opening of the new extension of St. Mary's Hospital.
This institution, which is conducted by the Croydon Mothers'
and Infants' Welfare Association, now provides 32 beds for
maternity, of which 30 are reserved for cases sent by the Council.
The Hospital is modern and well equipped and should play a
prominent part in the maternity work of the town.
Although no new centres have been opened by the Croydon
Mothers' and Infants' Welfare Association, the attendances at the
Centres, and also at the Council's Centre, shew an increase, reaching
the peak figure of 63,951. Some of the Centres have been
overcrowded, and the establishment of further Centres must be
considered in the immediate future. Overcrowding has been most
pronounced at the Council's Centre at Lodge Road, where the
premises have, unfortunately, proved inadequate to cope with the
numbers.
A useful step towards co-ordination was taken by the appointment
of a whole-time Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. This
specialist, who is an officer of the Public Health Staff, resides at
Mayday Road Hospital, and is responsible for all the maternity
and gynecological work at that institution. In addition, he is in
clinical charge of the ante-natal centres, and attends daily at St.
Mary's Hospital, where, however, he does not conduct any confinements,
these being attended by the midwives on the staff, or,
when necessity arises, by one of a rota of six general medical
practitioners. Late in 1930 a Post-Natal Clinic was established
and, although only in operation a short time, is already proving a
conspicuous success. In any efficient maternity scheme, continuity
of medical supervision is essential. Under this experimental
scheme a decided step forward has been made towards this aim,
inasmuch as all cases, other than emergencies, for admission to
St. Mary's Hospital, or Mayday Road Hospital, are required to
attend the ante-natal clinic and after their confinement, on returning
home, are visited by the health visitors, and invited to attend
the post-natal clinic. The small number of refusals shews that the
mothers appreciate the value of the continuity of medical service.