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16
B. Maternity.
Our arrangement here is an agreement with the Essex County
Council whereby Maternity cases can be admitted to Oldchurch
Hospital. This Council is financially responsible for such cases,
but recovers the charge if possible from the patient.
During the year, the Essex County Council was endeavouring
to get unanimity amongst the various Welfare Councils for the
acceptance of financial responsibility by those Councils for nondestitute
cases admitted in emergency to Oldchurch Hospital; that
is to say for cases who requested admission during labour, and who
had not previously booked a doctor or midwife. At the end of the
year the matter was still under consideration. In the meantime,
however, if patients present themselves at the Hospital at an early
stage of pregnancy for the purpose of booking accommodation for
confinement, they are referred by the Medical Superintendent to
this Department if the patient resides in this area, so that the
necessary arrangements for ante-natal supervision can be made at
one of the clinics of the Department.
Cases of Puerperal Pyrexia, and Ophthalmia Neonatorum can,
if necessary, be sent under a scheme of treatment to the Romford
Isolation Hospital.
C. Children.
The facilities in this category remain the same.
D. Other.
Accident cases and non-infectious cases can be catered for either
at the Victoria Hospital, a voluntary hospital with 31 beds or at
Oldchurch Hospital, which is under the jurisdiction of the Public
Health Committee of the Essex County Council, and which has
860 beds. Both these hospitals are situated within the boundary of
Romford. In addition, many large London Hospitals are within
easy mileage of Romford.
Venereal Diseases' Schemes are administered by the County
Council.
AMBULANCE SERVICES.
The Ambulances available for use in the District are:—
(a) Eor Infectious Diseases—Two, which are stationed at
the Isolation Hospital.
(b) For General and Accident Cases—Two. One of these is
stationed at the Car Park in Church Lane. The other
is stationed at the Town Yard, Market Place, and is
used for reserve purposes only.