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48
Supply of Milk, etc., to Necessitous Mothers and Children.—Under the
provisions of the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, milk, etc., is provided by
the Council for necessitous expectant and nursing mothers, and children under the
age of five years, under the conditions laid down in Circular 185, issued by the
Ministry of Health, in March, 1921. The approximate cost of these services during
the year was as follows:—
Dried milk, £1,956 0s. 9d.; Fresh milk, Nil; Dinners, Nil.
In January the Council decided to co-operate with the London County Council
in regard to the supply of extra nourishment to maternity cases where domiciliary
relief was being granted by the County Council. The details of the scheme may be
summarised as follows:—
(a) Grant of extra nourishment shall be considered as additional to, and
not part of, ordinary relief.
(b) There shall be no material interval between the recommendation of
extra nourishment, and the issue thereof, the Welfare Centre's recommendations
shall be regarded as matters of urgency by Relieving Officers and District
Medical Officers.
(c) Women in receipt of relief who attend London County Council antenatal
clinics for examination and advice prior to confinement in London County
Council hospitals shall be dealt with by the London County Council, except in
special cases.
(d) After confinement the nursing mothers will be referred to Borough
Council's clinics, with a view to any extra nourishment required being supplied
through such centres.
(e) Recommendations from Welfare Centres with regard to nursing mothers
will be dealt with in the same way as expectant mothers.
All expectant mothers in receipt of relief not attending London County Council
ante-natal clinics must attend Borough Council Welfare Centres, and the procedure
suggested is as follows:—
(1) The medical officer of the centre will forward to the relieving officer
his recommendation for any milk or special foods which may be necessary for a
nursing or expectant mother.
(2) The relieving officer will consult the district medical officer on each
recommendation, and will satisfy himself that the applicant is unable to provide
the special nourishment without further assistance. The recommendation will
then be submitted to the district sub-committee.