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11
(3) Hospitals for Children.
Apart from the arrangements by which children suffering from
ophthalmia or from orthopaedic defects are admitted to special
hospitals for the treatment of these conditions, there is no provision
for the admission of children to hospital. On application by
hospital authorities, financial assistance is granted in respect of
children referred from the infant welfare centres and admitted for
in-patient treatment.
(4) Orthopaedic Hospitals.
The Council now accepts liability for the hospital charges of
those children under five years of age admitted to the Stanmore
Orthopaedic Hospital on the recommendation of the Consultant
Orthopaedic Surgeon.
AMBULANCE FACILITIES.
(a) For Infectious Cases.
Infectious cases are removed by the Austin ambulance, which
is housed alternately at the two isolation hospitals.
(b) For Non-Infectious Cases and Accidents.
There are four ambulances for the removal of non-infectious
and accident cases: two 20-h.p. Austin ambulances housed at the
Headquarters Station, a similar ambulance at the Harrow-on-theHill
Station and a 20-h.p. Talbot ambulance housed at the
Wealdstone Station.
The following is a summary of the extent to which the
ambulances have been used during the year and figures for previous
years:—
1938 1937 1936
Accident cases 690 517 480
Maternity cases 295 336 211
Other cases 1,357 1,229 971
With the additional ambulance put into commission early in
1939 the needs of the district are, in the opinion of the Chief Officer
of the Fire Brigade, sufficiently met.
Reciprocal arrangements are in operation with neighbouring
authorities.
During the year the rule by which a maternity case being
conveyed to hospital for her confinement should be accompanied
by a woman was amended so that now such patient must be
accompanied by a midwife or recognised maternity nurse. The
nurses who accompany patients are mostly those midwives or
maternity nurses in independent practice; but if none other is
available one of the Council's midwives accompanies the patient.