View report page

60
them liable to be a source of infection. Five of the midwives were employed
by the Council and the other three by the Salvation Army.
The reasons for suspension from practice were as follows:-
(1) and (2) Attended two babies suffering from diarrhoea. No pathogenic
organisms were found in faecal swabs from the infants but the swab
from the throat of the midwife showed the presence of haemolytic
streptococci.
(3) Attended notified case of scarlet fever, removed to the Ilford Isolation
Hospital. Swabs from the throat and nose of the midwife did not
show any haemolytic streptococci.
(4) Attended notified case of puerperal pyrexia stated to be due to
sapraemia after post -part uni haemorrhage and manual removal of the
placenta. No haemolytic streptococci isolated from throat or nose
swabs of midwife.
(5) Attended notified case of puerperal pyrexia stated to be due to mastitis.
No haemolytic streptococci isolated from throat or nose swabs of two
midwives.
(6) Attended notified case of puerperal pyrexia stated to be due to
sapraemia. No haemolytic streptococci isolated from throat or nose
swabs of two midwives.
(7) Attended a case of pyrexia due to sub-involution; admitted to the
Ilford Isolation Hospital. No haemolytic streptococci isolated from
throat or nose swabs of midwife.
Medical aid was sought in 18 instances where the infant was found to
have inflamed or discharging eyes. Three of the cases were subsequently
notified as suffering from Ophthalmia Neonatorum. In all cases the condition
of the eyes cleared satisfactorily.
The Council has adopted the suggestion of the Minister of Health that
they should refrain from exercising their power of recovery of the fee of the
Medical Practitioner under Section 14 (4) of the Midwives Act, 1918, in this
class of case.
Council District Midwifery Service.—During the year 1,159 cases were
attended. In 735 cases the midwives were engaged to attend as midwives and
in 424 as maternity nurses. The patients resided in the following wards:-
Barkingside 214; North Hainault 128; Cranbrook 76; Park 112, Seven
Kings 116; South Hainault 123; Loxford 158; Clementswood 137;
Goodmayes 48; Fairlop 18; Clayhall 16; Mayfield 13.
3,820 ante-natal visits were made during the year.
At the end of the year there were 13 District Midwives employed wholetime
by the Council and 2 part-time midwives, in addition to the Superintendent
and Deputy Superintendent.
54 medical practitioners are now participating in the Council's scheme tor
the ante-natal examination of patients who have engaged a Council midwife
to attend them.
81 patients were referred by private doctors to the Council's Consultant
Obstetrician at the Ante-natal Clinic for a further opinion. 22 of these women
and 48 other patients who had engaged a Council midwife (40 as a midwife
and 30 as a maternity nurse) were for various reasons admitted to the
Council's Maternity Home or other Institutions for confinement. 60 were
admitted to the Maternity Home, 6 to the Essex County Hospital, Wanstead,
1 to the Ilford Isolation Hospital, 1 to the Salvation Army Mothers Hospital,
Clapton, 1 to a private Nursing Home and 1 to Oldchurch County Hospital,
Romford.
In addition, 2 patients were admitted to the Maternity Home for antenatal
treatment and subsequently confined at home.