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98
Maternity Accommodation.
Under the provisions of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Act, 1918, empowering Local Authorities to make arrangements
for the institutional treatment of complicated midwifery cases,
and for women whose homes are unsuitable for their confinement,
the East Ham County Borough Council have arrangements for
the accommodation of necessitous cases requiring in-patient treatment,
at Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, the Maternity Charity
District Nurses' Home, Plaistow, and Forest Gate Sick Home.
During 1932, three were referred to Queen Mary's Hospital
and 35 were admitted to Forest Gate Sick Home.
Inspection of Midwives.
The Assistant Medical Officer of Maternity and Child Welfare
is also Inspector of Midwives under the Borough Council, and in
that capacity maintains a general supervision over the work of all
midwives practising in East Ham, under the requirements of the
Midwives' Acts 1902, 1918, and 1926.
57 midwives notified the Local Supervising Authority of their
intention to practice within the Borough during 1932.
32 visits of inspection were made by the Inspecting Medical
Officer during the year.
The revised rules of the Central Midwives' Board for 1927
require all certified midwives to keep ante-natal records or send
their cases to an Ante-natal Clinic.
There is a marked improvement in the keeping of case records
and ante-natal records. The personal cleanliness of the midwives
and condition of their homes was satisfactory.
Visits have been paid as required to one registered Nursing
Home in the district.
Under the rules issued by the Central Midwives' Board, a
midwife must notify the Local Supervising Authority within 36
hours if she has summoned medical aid during pregnancy, in a
confinement, or within 10 days afterwards.