View report page

71
In 64 cases the Council paid or contributed to the fee of a
midwife; in 31 a home help was provided, and 53 maternity sets
were issued.
A consultant was summoned on 10 occasions, once to an antenatal
case, twice to cases of puerperal infection, and to seven cases of
difficulty arising in the course of the confinement. In each of these
seven cases the infant was born alive. The causes of the difficulties
were:—impacted breech, occipto-posterior presentation, shoulder
presentation, transverse lie (case removed to and delivered in
hospital), inertia (twins delivered), contracted pelvis (Caesarean
section performed in hospital), and obstruction due to a fibroid.
Towards the end of 1935 the Council agreed to arrangements
being made for an emergency outfit to be provided and kept at the
Fire Station, Wealdstone, ready to be sent for the use of the consultants.
This outfit has been ready since January, 1936, though actually
it has not been used. It was hoped that arrangements could be made
for the services of a skilled nurse to be available as well but that, up
to the present, has proved impracticable—one of the disadvantages
of the district not having its own maternity institution.
Arrangements for blood transfusion were made with the
British Red Cross Society for the services of donors to be available
when required by the consultant gynaecologist at any case to which
he is summoned, an amount of one guinea being paid by the
Council to the Society in respect of each transfusion.
Responsibility has been accepted for the payment of the fee
of one guinea to a medical practitioner called in to give an anaesthetic
at a confinement, subject to the right to recover all or part
of the fee from the patient.
In an Institution.
The same arrangements for the admission of expectant mothers
to hospitals for their confinements continued in operation, 48 women
being admitted.
Local Maternity Home.
2,077 live births and 58 still births were notified during the
year as occurring to local mothers in Harrow, and a further 159
live and 5 still births were notified as having occurred in this district
to mothers not resident in Harrow.
Notifications of 675 live and 32 still births were received in
respect of Harrow mothers, having taken place in hospitals outside
of Harrow. Of these notifications 208 were received from Queen
Charlotte's Hospital, 176 from Redhill County Hospital, 105 from
the City of London Maternity Hospital, 47 from Queen Mary's
Maternity Hospital, 35 from University College Hospital, 13 each