View report page

iv.
Infant Welfare Centres, but a decrease in the total number of
births notifications. It is interesting also to note—as an illustration
of the popular trend—that some 50 per cent, of the total
births occurred in Public Maternity Hospitals and another 20 per
cent, in Private Maternity Homes. The comprehensive Obstetric
Service which has operated in the Borough since 1933, continued
to do excellent work. A total of 2,221 patients were dealt with
either in Mayday or St. Mary's Hospitals. A total of 21,141
attendances were made by expectant mothers to the Ante-Natal
Clinics. The Municipal Midwives delivered 991 mothers in
their own homes. It can be claimed with justification that the
Council, through its obstetric service, is responsible for the care
of at least 75 per cent.—80 per cent, of the births occurring in the
Borough. It would therefore seem that arguments which are raised
against State or Local Authority intervention in medical affairs
are not supported by the public. On the contrary, the demands
made are very heavy and cannot always be met with the resources
at present available. The Council will have to consider, seriously,
a considerable extension of their maternity hospital
accommodation and their midwifery service, when times become
more settled.
Housing conditions in the town have deteriorated and the
position is now such as to cause considerable concern. The
damage done by the Flying Bomb attacks from the middle of
June onwards, was much greater than previous damage incurred
in piloted bomber attacks. No new houses have been built, whilst
at the same time many hundreds have been totally destroyed.
In the nature of events it has not been practicable to take any
steps, other than asking for essential repairs to make the premises
habitable, with houses which immediately prior to the outbreak
of the war were to have been scheduled for inclusion in Clearance
or Redevelopment schemes. A total of 1,320 houses were dealt
with, of which 1,120 were made fit for habitation. Scarcity of
labour and materials have rendered action, even on the reduced
scale indicated, a difficult and tedious matter.
The Flying Bomb attacks brought new work for the
Sanitary Inspectors, inasmuch as wide damage was done to food
premises with resultant damage to quantities of food. Twentythree
tons of food was condemned as having been rendered unfit
for human consumption. In addition, 7 tons of food were
removed from shops which had been damaged or rendered unsafe,
and placed in the Council's Central Salvage Depot.