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(iv) Legal Adoption.
The Adoption of Children (Regulation) Act, 1939 embodies a
section giving power for certain adopted children to be supervised
by Welfare Authorities, and a Welfare Authority is defined in the
Act as meaning a Welfare Authority for the purposes of Part VII of
the Public Health Act, 1936. The Romford Borough Council is such
an Authority. This Act would normally have come into operation on
1st January, 1940, but at the end of December, 1939, the Home
Office intimated that Welfare Authorities would be relieved until
further notice of this duty in accordance with the Postponement of
Enactments (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1939.
(v) Midwives Act, 1936.
The following gives a summary of the cases attended by the
Council Midwives, as Midwives, and as Maternity Nurses during
1939.
As Midwives 279
As Maternity Nurses 60
As mentioned previously a fifth Midwife commenced duties on
24th July, 1939.
Under the requirements of Section 7 of the Act, which relates to
the necessity for Post-Certificate Training, the Essex County Council,
which is the Local Supervising Authority for the purposes of the
Act, made arrangements for one of the Midwives to attend a course
of one month's duration at Plaistow Maternity Hospital, Plaistow,
E.13.
Three of our Midwives have now attended a Post-Certificate
Course. The other two will have an opportunity later. It is hoped
that arrangement will be made for each Midwife to undergo this
training, at least every 7 years.
(vi) Inspection of Nursing Homes, Etc.
Three Nursing Homes in the District are Registered by the
Essex County Council under Section 187 of the Public Health Act,
1936. One of these is Registered for the reception of 5 Maternity or
Medical Patients, and an annex is Registered for 5 MaternityPatients.
Another is Registered for 2 Maternity Patients, and the
third is Registered for 5 Medical, Surgical, or Chronic Patients, and
1 Maternity Patient.