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9
The outstanding value of the maternity and child welfare
facilities in the Borough is shown by these low infant and maternal
mortality rates.

During the year the increased demand for admission to the
local maternity hospital accommodation, at Perivale, Central
Middlesex and West Middlesex Hospitals, led to the length of stay
of normal cases in each of these hospitals being reduced, thus
permitting an increase in the number of admissions. Despite this
arrangement there was a greatly increased number of home confinements,
and two additional midwives had to be engaged to deal
with this work.
In April, it became possible to offer every woman confined at
home, with a domiciliary midwife in attendance, the opportunity
to have gas and air analgesia at her confinement. Approximately
60 per cent, of the cases received this means of relief from pain at
their confinement. The provision of housing accommodation for
midwives, payment of a special auto-cycle allowance to a relief
midwife and the acceptance of Hospital Saving Association vouchers
in full settlement of fees were other measures introduced during the
year with a view to improving the midwifery service. The payment
of a car allowance to any midwife using her own car for her
duties was under consideration at the end of the year.
The Domestic Help Service was extended considerably in the
early part of the year, an increase in the rate of pay (now l/9d.
per hour) facilitating the enrolment of suitable staff. This increase
in pay led to difficulty in many maternity cases, as the maximum
payment for 14 days' attendance rose to £8 for each case.
As there was urgent need to encourage home confinements and as
hospital confinements are subsidised to a considerable extent from
the rates, the Council agreed that the maximum charge for domestic
help in a maternity case should be fixed at £4 for the 14 days.
The arrangements whereby unmarried expectant mothers can
be admitted to .pre-natal and post-natal hostels have continued.
During the year 31 cases were admitted to one or both hostels.
Facilities have also been made available, through the Middlesex
County Council, for a limited number of small children to be
admitted to a Residential Nursery while the mother is in hospital.