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V.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme which, in its
present form was evolved in 1933 and included in which are the
ante-natal clinics, maternity provision in hospitals and by municipal
midwives in the patients' own homes, post-natal and
gynæcological clinics, Infant Welfare Centres, Home Helps and
other ancillary activities, may without fear of contradiction be
said to be one of the most complete in the country. Unfortunately,
the National Health Services Act will, so far as can be
judged, cause a serious disruption of the existing continuity of
these services, in as much as part of these will remain with the
Council, part will come under the Regional Hospital Boards, and
part under the committee administering the general practitioner
services. Representations were made by the Public Health Committee
to the Minister of Health, but no observable change was
made in the provisions originallv laid down in the Bill.
Great strain has been laid upon this section of the work
owing to much increased demands due to the return of young
mothers to the town, and a pronounced increase in the birth-rate.
In consequence, the premises used for the ante-natal clinics at
Lodge Road are quite inadequate in size and amenities; also, the
number of maternity beds is insufficient to obviate undesirable
overcrowding, and applicants for admission to hospital for their
confinements have to be rigidly restricted to certain classes of
cases in whom complications might arise during labour, or who
have no facilities whatever for a home confinement. A further
complicating factor is the difficult housing position in the town,
which naturally impels women to seek to have their confinement
away from their homes.
A total of 1,684 mothers had their confinements in Mayday
Hospital or St. Mary's Hospital; 22,663 attendances were made
by expectant mothers to the ante-natal clinics, and 1,015 mothers
were delivered at home by the municipal midwives. In 1945 the
Council's Obstetric Service dealt with 2,840 out of the 3,575
births which were recorded in Croydon, i.e., nearly 80 per cent.
The Ambulance Service, now in its fourth year under the
Public Health Committee administration, had a busy year. There
were 6,399 calls as compared with 4,736 in 1944. This was due
principally to an increase in the number of accident calls, private
removals, and public health department needs. A detailed
analysis of the kinds of accidents is given and comparison made
with 1944 (pp. 36 and 37). A disquieting feature is the increase
in the number of accidents to children, from 231 in 1944 to 436
in 1945. Accidents to children in the streets were more than
double those in 1944,