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128
(c) The Council is not saddled with the upkeep of
empty beds.
(d) The cost per patient per week is much less than
in any small maternity home of which I have any
knowledge.
The Final Report of the Departmental Committee on
Maternal Mortality and Morbidity (issued in July, 1932),
contains the recommendation that new maternity accommodation
should, where practicable, be associated with general
hospitals on grounds of efficiency as well as to facilitate specialist
treatment of non-obstetric conditions associated with
pregnancy and childbirth.
In Ministry of Health Circular 1433 (issued in October,
1934), the Minister advises that:—
"Recent experience has shown that it is in general
undesirable to provide small maternity homes as separate
units."
During 1935 some 308 Leyton expectant mothers attended
the out-patient department of Queen Mary's Hospital for
ante-natal supervision and subsequently had their confinements
in the Margaret Lyle maternity wards. The average
stay in hospital was 13.48 days; and the average cost per
case was £4 14s. 4d., of which £2 4s. Id. was paid by the patient
and £2 10s. 3d. by the Council.
The following figures show—on the basis of the 1935
figure of 4,153 bed days—the annual payment to the Hospital
at the present rate of 7s. per day, and at rates per day of
8s., 9s. and 10s.
At 7s. per day £1,453 11s. 0d.
„ 8s. „ £1,661 4s. 0d.
„ 9s. „ £1,868 17s. 0d.
,, 10s. „ £2,076 10s. 0d.
On consulting the Costing Returns of the Ministry of
Health for the year ended 31st March, 1935, I find that there
are 22 Maternity Homes in England and Wales administered
by Municipal Boroughs. Particulars extracted from the
official Costing Returns show the net total average cost per