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165
(a) British Hospital for Mothers and Babies. During
the year the Managing Committee of the hospital were able
to complete the new Administration Block and to sever the
connection with the old hospital in Wood Street, used first as
a hospital and latterly as the Nurses' Home and Clinic Department.
The Clinics have been transferred, and adequate
kitchens, dining, sitting and bedrooms for the staff have been
built. A dental clinic has also been provided. There are
still outstanding, however, the second Ward Block, with
additional quarters for Student Midwives, and the permanent
Isolation Block. These are urgently needed, not only for
the purposes of a training school for the higher training of
midwives, but also in response for the increasing demands
for institution beds by expectant mothers in this neighbourhood.
The hospital was closed on account of these operations
for nearly two months and in consequence the numbers
admitted were smaller than the average of the last few years.
Miss Gregory, the Secretary of the Hospital, tells me, however,
that during the year the number of babies born was
582, that 4,952 attendances were made at the Ante-natal
Clinics, and 1909 at the Infant Clinics. In addition there
were 234 extern cases. The number of mothers admitted
under the Council's scheme was 133, the nett cost to the
Council being £947 6s. 4d.
(b) War Memorial Hospital—7 maternity beds. I am
indebted to Mr. Edwin Radford, J.P., the Secretary Superintendent
of the Hospital, for the following information
regarding the admissions to the maternity unit during the
year.
The number of children born in the hospital was 147,
and 26 mothers were admitted for ante-natal or emergency
treatment. The number of attendances made at the antenatal
clinic was 720.