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22
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
A detailed summary of the scheme of maternity and child
welfare in operation in the Borough has been included in the
Annual Reports for the last two years and need not be repeated
again on this occasion.
The rapid development of the North Greenford Ward has
made it necessary for further provision to be made for maternity
and child welfare services and the Council has decided to build a
new Health Centre to serve this area. Plans for the erection of
this new Health Centre have been prepared but some difficulty
has been experienced in securing a suitable site. This difficulty
has now been overcome and early progress will be made in the
construction of this new Centre. The additional work in this
rapidly growing area necessitated an increase in the staff of
Health Visitors and the Council approved of the appointment
of an additional Health Visitor, who commenced duty on the
1st January, 1934.
During the year the Middlesex County Council suggested that
the provision of a midwife in necessitous cases should be dealt
with by one authority. The Town Council had not as a rule
provided assistance for cases where the family were receiving
assistance from the Public Assistance Authority, but they agreed
to accept the responsibility of providing midwives in all necessitous
cases, including those receiving relief. In connection with the
employment of midwives to attend necessitous cases the Council
made a further new decision whereby the fees paid to midwives
employed by the Council were increased to £2. 5s. Od. for a primipara
and to £2. Os. Od. for a multipara.
The summary of the work of the Health Visitors and of the
activities of the Health Centres given on the following pages,
conveys an idea of the extent to which the maternity and child
welfare services are utilised by the mothers.
In connection with the work at the Health Centres some
extremely valuable assistance is received from a number of voluntary
workers who attend regularly and assist at the sessions for
children held in the afternoons. Thanks are due to these ladies,
prominent among whom are Mrs. Ludlow, Mrs. Narraway, Mrs.