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Between the end of the War and 1948 was a period of rebuilding
of the services and rehabilitation of staff returning from military
duties and at the time of transfer of these functions to the County
Council in the year 1948 they were once again operating at a very
high level of professional competence and efficiency.
Since 1948 the County Council as Health Authority has been
responsible for the operation of the services, but the Borough Council
have been able to retain an interest through members nominated to
serve on the No. 6 Area Health Committee.
Alongside work in the Clinics, Health Visitors have, during the
whole of the period under review performed their district duties of
domiciliary visiting for young babies and expectant mothers. This
work is unspectacular and routine, but none the less a basically
important feature of the Health Services. The Borough Council were
responsible from 1937 until 1948, when the control of Health Visiting
was transferred to the County Council under the National Health
Service Act.
DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY.
At the date when Borough Status was granted to the Council,
Domiciliary Midwifery in the district was undertaken by two District
Nursing Associations on behalf of the Middlesex County Council, who
were at that time local supervising authority under the Midwives
Acts ; Kingsbury District Nursing Association served four Wards of
the Borough and the Wembley Association the remaining eight Wards.
It may seem strange when reviewed now, but at that time charges
were made for confinement up to a maximum of three guineas and
with a rebate of fees according to net family income. At this time
also fourteen other Midwives in private work gave notice of their
intention to practise midwifery within the boundaries of the Borough.
Maternity Outfits for use in domiciliary confinements were provided
and in 1940 the first mention is made of Emergency Maternity
Units—Flying Squads, which could be obtained from the local
hospitals.
Puerperal infections in the early years caused tremendous
anxiety, but fortunately the incidence of these conditions has decreased
through the period, and the discoverey of sulphonamides and antibiotics
has lessened their terrors.
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