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29
ii. Professional Nursing in the Home.
The arrangements for providing nursing assistance in the home were set out
fully in my annual report for 1930. No change has taken place in the constitution
of the various Associations or of the areas in which they work. They are all under
agreement with the Council to provide nursing assistance at the cost of the Council
for cases of measles, whooping cough, zymotic enteritis, ophthalmia neonatorum,
pneumonia, anterior poliomyelitis, puerperal fever and puerperal pyrexia. The
rates of payment vary from 6d. to 1s. 3d. per visit. Tuberculosis was added
to this list during the year, and payment is made at the rate of 1s. 3d. per visit.
iii. Midwives.
There are 110 whole-time midwives employed by the Council. By the courtesy
of the County Medical Officer of Health, I have been able to ascertain that 52
midwives gave notice during the year of their intention to practise in the Borough.
iv. Laboratory Facilities.
During the year the agreement with the Seamen's Hospital for the bacteriological
work of the Council was terminated and a new one entered into with the
Board of Management of the Woolwich War Memorial Hospital. The change
arose in this way. A pathologist and bacteriologist was appointed on the staff of
the Memorial Hospital and facilities thus became available for this work to be done
locally. Accordingly, the change was made on the 1st October. It meant the
severance of a happy relationship of long standing with the Seamen's Hospital,
but it was felt that as the Council was so intimately connected with the development
and maintenance of the Woolwich War Memorial Hospital, that the bacteriological
work should be carried out there, as an equally efficient service was now available.
The new agreement provided for the continuance of the same rates of payment.
The bacteriological examination of milk samples is carried out by the Clinical
Research Laboratory at a cost of 5s. Od. per specimen.
A minimum of 500 samples are purchased annually under the Sale of Food
and Drugs Act, and submitted for chemical analysis to the Public Analyst, Sir
W. R, Smith, at the Royal Institute of Public Health.
v- Adoptive Acts, By-laws and Regulations Relating to Public Health
in Force in the District.
Adoptive Acts.—The Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, 1899-1923, have been
adopted by the Council. During the year, the Borough Treasurer tells me, the
Council made 227 advances to purchasers of houses in accordance with the provisions
of these Acts.