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Most of the midwives live in their own homes and the districts which
they cover are as far as possible based on those points as centres. The
work of the midwives is co-ordinated by the non-medical supervisor of
midwives, Mrs. R. Bromley of 213 Exeter Road, South Harrow (Telephone
No. Pinner 5723). The establishment of midwives was in April raised to
11½
Last year the midwives attended the confinements of 736 women in
their homes, being present in 612 instances as midwives and in 124 as
maternity nurses. Of these mothers confined in their own homes, 462
had the advantage of gas and air analgesia, 261 of pethidine and 276 of
trilene.
Home Helps
This service is intended essentially as an emergency service by which
help is sent in to a household faced with some emergency, often enough
the result of the mother herself succumbing to some illness. In practice
though it has gradually become one of providing help to the aged and
those suffering from some long-standing illness. The help which can be
given to these people is of the greatest assistance, as even moderate help
enables some of them to continue to live at home who, without that help,
could not have managed, and would have had to have been admitted to
an institution, either Part III welfare accommodation or even a hospital.
Although at no time has it been possible to recruit sufficient home
helps to meet the full demands, and particularly to give more help at
such times as epidemic illness, the staff engaged are able to meet promptly
most of the requests. Additional staff would enable more help to be given
in certain cases where the present limitation of numbers permits giving
only of a minimum service.
The average number of home helps was one full-time and 60 parttime,
being an equivalent of 37 full-time home helps. They gave assistance
in 1,125 households. In 292 of these the patient helped was a maternity
case, in 14 was one suffering from tuberculosis, in 223 was one suffering
from an acute condition and in 596 was a long term case.
DAY NURSERIES
The same two day nurseries provided for the admission of children
whose mothers needed to go out to work, Headstone Drive Nursery with
its 50 places and the Walton Avenue, South Harrow, Nursery with its 60.
CLINICS AND TREATMENT CENTRES
The following is a list of the clinics and treatment centres in, or
serving the district:—
Infant Welfare Centres
The Clinic, Alexandra Avenue, South Harrow Mon. and Fri. p.m.
Broadway Clinic, The Broadway, Wealdstone Wed. a.m. and p.m.
The Pavilion, Chandos Rec. Ground, Edgware Thur. and Fri. p.m.