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27
addition 53 cases were referred through the Ante-Natal
Clinic for hospital treatment. These 73 cases were referred
by the Department either because of the existence of
undesirable environmental conditions, or the cases were
likely to be complicated by medical or physical condition.
There are six institutions classified as maternity
hospitals and homes within the Borough and are registered
by the Local Authority under the Nursing Homes
Registration Act, 1927. These institutions make provision
for 33 maternity beds to which 463 cases were admitted
during 1935.
Details of maternity and nursing homes registered by
the Local Authority appear later in this Report under
Part IV. which deals with Summary of General Provision
of Health Services in the Area.
Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.
The Local Authority has arranged with the Queen
Charlotte's Maternity Hospital, Isolation Block, Ravenscourt
Square, Hammersmith, to accept cases coming
under the above mentioned heading. The London
Ambulance Service of the London County Council is used
for the conveyance of patients to the hospital.
The consultant services of Mr. Bright Banister are
available in all cases of doubt and where the cause of
pyrexia is not of a minor character. His services were
called upon for two cases during the year 1935.
Post-Natal.
Home Visiting.
At the end of 1935 the Nursing Staff comprised six
full-time health visitors, who are also school nurses,
dividing their time equally between the maternity and
child welfare and school medical services..
The purpose of home visiting is to bring to the home
expert knowledge of mother-craft and baby-craft, in which
our health visitors are specially trained. It is sometimes
forgotten that the health visitor is not only a fully general
trained hospital nurse, but also possesses the special
certificates required by the State for the practice of