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Part Payment of Midwives' Scheme.—Thirty-eight applications
were dealt with under this scheme during 1934. 31 awards
were made totalling £52 2s. Od.; 1 compensation grant of
£1 Is. Od. was made to a midwife in respect of a patient sent to a
hospital; and 6 applications were refused as the family income was
above the scale.
Attendance at Centres of Non-Southgate Mothers.—With
the authority of the Committee, 51 mothers, living a short distance
beyond the borders of the district, attended various Southgate
Centres. A charge of Is. per attendance is made.
It will be observed that this number shows no sign of decreasing,
but no mothers are allowed to attend Centres unless the officers
are satisfied that such attendances will not disturb the routine of
the Clinics.
During the year an arrangement was come to with the Hertfordshire
County Council whereby the County Council pays 10s.
per mother per year for the attendance at Southgate Clinics of
mothers residing in the East Barnet area. Unsuccessful attempts
were made to enter into similar agreements with other neighbouring
Authorities.
Voluntary Helpers.—The Voluntary Helpers' Committee again
rendered excellent assistance to the Maternity and Child Welfare
services in the district, the work carried out during 1934 at the
Centres being characterised by its unselfishness and regularity.
The Committee held its customary Annual Christmas Party for
mothers, the function once again proving eminently successful.
General. —The year under review has been an important one
from the point of view of Maternity and Child Welfare. During this
time the scheme for the part payment of midwives was instituted,
together with new and, it is hoped, more satisfactory arrangements
for dental treatment. Towards the end of the year, too late for
its effects to be felt in 1934, a revision of the scheme which provides
free or half-price milk to necessitous children was carried out.
The results of this will be that many more families will benefit while
a considerable number of children between the ages of 3 and 5 will
be included. It is also proposed to extend the facilities for receiving
milk, under certain conditions, to expectant mothers during
the last six months of pregnancy instead of the final three months
as was previously the case.
Further advances are scheduled for the near future, among
such being an arrangement for the removal of tonsils and adenoids
in children under the age of 5 at the North Middlesex County
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