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Home Helps.
The scheme of Home Helps had been in operation since
March, 1938. Up to the 31st December Home Helps had attended
27 confinements, while the number on the panel was six.
At the beginning, the remuneration of Home Helps was 25/per
week, when so employed, but experience gained in due
course proved this figure to be insufficient, and in October the
Council being desirous of encouraging the Home Help Service
raised the weekly wage to 35/-, when so employed, and the service
was again advertised. From the 1st January to the 30th
June, 1939, the number of families attended by Home Helps
has been 20, while the number of women on the panel of Home
Helps is at present 12.
MATERNITY HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION.
The Council had for some time pointed out to the County
Council the lack of maternity bed accommodation at the County
Hospitals, more particularly at Redhill Hospital. It is gratifying,
therefore, to be able to report that during 1938 the number
of confinements in the County hospitals increased considerably.
The number of beds available in the County hospitals, however,
is still insufficient fully to meet the demand, and, as was
pointed out as likely to happen, already cases have been refused
a bed in the maternity blocks when the home circumstances
were not considered appropriate for confinement at home. It
is to be repeated that it would be of great assistance to Wembley
residents were maternity accommodation to become available
for the southern part of the Borough at the Central Middlesex
Hospital.
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