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46
Provision of Nursing Assistance for Certain Diseases.—In Section 1 of
the report the general scheme of nursing assistance is described in full. The extent
to which these services have been made use of in respect of specific diseases has
been dealt with under these diseases, q.v.
In February the Council considered an application from the Woolwich and
District Nursing Association requesting that payments should be made in respect
of the nursing of children under five years of age, suffering from diseases, other
than those specified infectious diseases for which payment is made under existing
agreements. The Association asked that payments should be made in respect of
children suffering from threadworms, discharging eyes, otorrhœa, blepharitis and
boils. As arrangements already existed at the Minor Ailments Clinic for the treatment
of these conditions, except threadworms, the Council decided to make payments
in respect of the nursing of cases of threadworms only and to include all the nursing
associations in the arrangement. It was agreed that during the financial year ended
31st March, 1935, a payment at the rate of 1s. 0d. per visit should be made in respect
of such cases, that the total expenditure should not exceed £18, and that in the event
of this amount being exceeded a pro rata reduction would be made in the payment
to each of the associations. During the nine months of 1934 the number of cases
so treated was 46, payment being made at approximately eleven pence per visit.
Day Ambulance.—In accordance with an agreement entered into with the
London County Council, ambulances are hired from that body for the conveyance
of mothers to maternity hospitals between the hours of 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., and,
except in rare instances, the cost is recovered from the patient. During the year
this service was used on 8 occasions.
Children's Beds.—Twelve beds have been reserved by the Council in the
Woolwich War Memorial Hospital for the treatment of children under 5 years of age
suffering from such conditions as are usually admitted to general or children s
hospitals. Including those remaining in hospital at the beginning of the year, the
number of children who received treatment during the year was 193. Of these 167
were discharged cured or very much improved in health, 14 were discharged as improved
and 5 died. No children were transferred to other hospitals, 4 others were
discharged showing no improvement, and the number remaining in hospital at the
end of the year was 3. The surgical conditions for which these children were admitted
included:—enlarged tonsils and adenoids, phimosis, hernia, abscess, injury, pyloric
stenosis, rectal prolapse, and cleft palate, etc., and those admitted for medical
treatment included children suffering from prematurity, marasmus, pneumonia,
bronchitis, diarrhoea, urinary infection, catarrhal jaundice, and chorea, etc.
Institutional Midwifery.—(1) British Hospital for Mothers and Babies.—
There are 42 beds in this hospital, and I am informed by Miss Gregory, the Secretary