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22
Day Nurseries.
Two day nurseries (a) Headstone Drive Nursery, Wealdstone, with
50 places, and (b) Walton Avenue Nursery, South Harrow, with 60 places,
provide for the needs of children aged 0-5 years for whom it is considered
nursery provision is needed on health grounds.
Headstone Drive Nursery is recognised as a training nursery for the
purposes of students seeking the qualification of the National Nursery
Examination Board. The course extends over a period of two years and
the students have their practical training in the nuisery and for theoretical
instruction attend Chiswick Polytechnic. Two students are taken on each
year and the demand for places is high. Students are also enrolled by the
Education Officer for training in the nursery schools in the Borough and
in order that these students can gain experience in dealing with children
under the age of three years, an interchange of students attending the day
nursery and the nursery schools is arranged in co-operation with the
Education Department. It is hoped that the nursery at Walton Avenue
may soon be approved for student training.
Midwifery.
The Area establishment of midwives was increased during 1963 to 16.
It was possible to recruit up to this figure during the year. The conversion
of the house at 109 Parkside Way into two flatlets, and the completion
of the flat at the Caryl Thomas Clinic, Headstone Drive, have provided
much needed accommodation.
The midwives, working in liaison with the general practitioners,
provide ante-natal supervision of mothers expecting to be confined at
home. They hold regular booking clinics and also visit the homes to
ensure that everything is in order for a home confinement.
Sterilized maternity outfits are available to all expectant mothers,
except those who have booked a hospital bed for their confinement. Gas
and Air and Trilene analgesia is available for confinements. Pupil midwives
attended during the year to undertake their training in preparation
for Part 2 of the examination of the Central Midwives Board. Last year the
midwives attended the confinements of 953 women in their homes.
The increase in the establishment of midwives made the introduction
of a day and night rota system for the midwives possible. This ensured
that the midwives off-duty time, so often disturbed in the past, could be
enjoyed without interruption and undoubtedly proved beneficial both to
patients, staff and the maternity services in general in the area.
The night rota system works with the co-operation of the Central
Ambulance Control at Kenton. Briefly the details are as follows:—
A four-weekly night rota of midwives is prepared and sent to
Ambulance Control, but a daily telephone call is made to the Contro
approximately 5 p.m. each day confirming which midwives are on call for