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Maternity and, Child Welfare. 55
6. Medical Aid.—Payment for the doctor called in
by the midwife was paid for in only one case. As such
a small proportion of confinements are attended by
midwives, it necessarily follows that the occasions for
calling in medical aid will be few in number, although
it must be admitted that one in 217 cases attended by
midwives is a small proportion. It can only be assumed
that when the midwife has required to call in medical
aid, the husband has been able to pay the doctor's fee.
7. Consultant Aid.—Dr. Bell was called in by doctors
in seven serious cases of complicated confinement.
The provision of a consultant is greatly appreciated by
the doctors, who are glad of advice in cases which
are apt to cause them a great deal of anxiety. There
is no doubt that the early provision of skilled advice
and operative interference is the means in these cases
of saving the lives, not only of some of the mothers, but
of the children.
8. Hospital provision for normal and abnormal confinements.—
As noted in the Report for 1919, it has been
very difficult to provide for these cases in Dr. Bell's
home, owing to the great demands of private paying
patients.
During the year the Council provided maternity home
accommodation for 11 cases, but other cases had to be
referred to the Infirmary and to Hospitals in London,
on account of the lack of accommodation in Ealing.
The amalgamation of the Chiswick and Ealing
Isolation Hospitals, and the arrangement by which the
former will become the Maternity Hospital and the latter
the Isolation Hospital serving the two districts, will