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(7) All midwives shall reside in suitable rooms or flats provided by the
Maternity and Child Welfare Committee on a rental basis.
We report that the estimated cost of carrying out these proposals for the
first year (excluding telephone, but including Council's superannuation contributions
and grant to the Salvation Army midwives) will be £2,500, less such
fees as are received for attendance on cases.
* The following is the report referred to above :—
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE (MIDWIVES ACT, 1936) SUBCOMMITTEE,
7th December, 1936.
Minimum attendance 14 days (CMB new rule).
Number of cases annually in populous districts—100 (70 as midwife, 30 as
maternity nurse)—Ministry of Health suggestion. (See reference of Midwives*
Institute who state 80 cases as average.)
Based on the number of births in Ilford in 1935 attended as under :—
(1) Doctor without Midwife 365
(2) Doctor with Midwife 211
(3) Midwife without Doctor 413
989
To meet the Ministry's recommendations, therefore, at least 10 midwives
would be required. Their allocation might be as follows :—
Barkingside and North Hainault Wards 3 ... (246 births in 1935
under above
categories)
Park and Cranbrook Wards ... ... 1 ... (117 do. )
Loxford and Clementswood Wards ... 3 ... (242 do. )
South Hainault and Seven Kings Wards 2 ... (220 do. )
Goodmayes Ward ... ... ... ... 1 ... (164 do. )
The Salvation Army Mothers' Hospital informed the Town Clerk that they
are definitely prepared to make arrangements for their midwives at Dagenham
to attend any confinements either as midwives or maternity nurses within the
area bordered by Goodmayes Lane, Green Lane, Bennetts Castle Lane and Longbridge
Road, and including these four roads, but that they will be unable to
attend any confinements outside this area. These mMwives during the past year
attended only 24 cases in Ilford, whereas in 1935 in the area now suggested there
were 126 births under the three categories, and it is very doubtful if all patients
within such area would be prepared to book one of the Salvation Army's Midwives
; and for this reason one midwife employed by the Council must probably
be allocated to the Goodmayes Ward, and assuming that the Salvation Army
Midwives will attend at 60 confinements annually that they be made a grant of
£120 per year (approximately half of salary and allowance of a Council Midwife).