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22
These nurseries are at (a) Headstone Drive, Wealdstone, with 50
places, and (b) Walton Avenue, South Harrow, with 60 places. The
Headstone Drive nursery is recognised as a training nursery for the
purposes of students seeking the qualification of the National Nursery
Examination Board. Each year the number of applicants for training
far exceeds the posts available.
In addition to the above, there are a number of privately run
nurseries and also a large number of child minders, who are registered
under the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation Act. In these cases,
application for registration is made to the authority and, after a full
inspection, a report is submitted to the local Area Health Committee,
who then decide whether the registration should be granted. In addition,
the applicant has to obtain the approval of the Borough Council under
the Town Planning Regulations.
All these premises are visited periodically by a Medical Officer, and
routinely by the Health Visitor of the particular district. Most of them
look after children for mornings only.
The numbers at present registered are:—
1. Child Minders 18
2. Private Day Nurseries 13
Section 23—Midwifery.
The establishment of midwives was full during 1964, at sixteen for
the area. Working in liaison with the general practitioners, the midwives
provided ante-natal supervision of mothers expecting to be confined at
home. Regular booking sessions are held by the midwives at most clinics
and visits are made to homes to see that everything is in order for the
home confinement. Expectant mothers are given instruction in the use
of analgesia apparatus—gas and air and trilene. Sterilised maternity
outfits are available to all, except those who have booked a hospital bed
for their confinement. During the year, the midwives attended the confinements
of 976 women in their homes.
The 48 hour Planned Early Discharge Scheme for certain patients
delivered in hospital continued during the year and amounted to about
fifteen cases each month. The majority of these cases were from
Edgware General Hospital, with one or two from Kingsbury Maternity
and the London Hospitals. The mothers like this scheme, which works
very well, and no adverse effects to any mother or child have been
observed.
Twenty-one pupil midwives attended during the year to undertake
their three months domiciliary training in preparation for Part 2
of the examination of the Central Midwives Board.