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" 9th May, 1932.
Special Dental Cases requiring In-patient Treatment.
The Committee will remember that I reported some time ago with regard to the difficulty
of safely dealing with a certain class of mother, where there was a very bad condition of the
mouth, at our Clinic, and I was authorised to get in touch with various hospitals to ascertain
whether they could undertake this work for us.
Various hospitals were approached but could not or would not entertain the matter.
The Royal Dental Hospital finally undertook to deal with them, subject to the necessary
formal arrangements being made.
The question of cost was one which they have had to go into, and I have just heard from
the Royal Dental Hospital that on account of their somewhat heavy costs and the very small
income received from the patients, they feel that a reasonable charge to us for this work would
be at the rate of 25/- per day per patient.
In the great majority of cases one day in hospital would be sufficient; in rare cases it
might run to two or in some rarer cases three days. The extra days necessary being an index
of the need for this treatment.
I recommend that the offer of the Royal Dental Hospital be accepted, as I feel that in the
long run it will be of material benefit to the mothers concerned, and relatively to the permanent,
benefit which will be secured—the cost is low.
I suggest that in any assessment for payment by the mothers this contingency be
regarded as one coming within the scope of the treatment necessary, and should not be a charge
on the parent, owing to the urgency from the public health point of view."
Notification of Births.
Number of live births notified during the year 1,329
Number of still births notified 35
Notified by midwives 904
Notified by parents or doctors 460
No special measures exist for dealing with unmarried mothers or illegitimate children of such,
but cases not wholly destitute have derived benefit through the Council's scheme for grants of food
and milk.
VOLUNTARY SOCIETIES AND HELPERS.
This year has brought tragedy, for it is no less to our Maternity and Child Welfare work, in
that Dr. Sydney Owen has relinquished his work as Physician-in-charge of Out-Patients to take over
the children's beds in the West London Hospital. When I say tragedy, I mean it with no depreciation
to his very able successor, but there is no other word which adequately describes the loss to the
mothers attending our Clinics.
I am in touch with so many of the leading pediatricians in London, many of them I know
well, but there is no one I have come across who takes such meticulous care over the investigation
of a case sent to him at the Out-Patient Department, and whose reports are so carefully and fully
ccnsidered.
I wish now to take this public opportunity of rendering to Dr. S. Owen on my behalf, and behalf
of the mothers of this district, our most grateful and heartfelt thanks for all that he has done for the
it tie ones under my charge. If he had done nothing else, his name will ever be remembered with
heartfelt gratitude by those of us who have seen his work that he has done for the difficult cases that
have arisen in our Clinics.
It is here that we have to say farewell, and appreciate the fact that the time has come when the
burden of out-patient work is due to be laid down for others to take over.
There is only one glimmer of satisfaction, which is that when it comes to the point of a child
being admitted into the West London Hospital, it will then come under the charge of a man who has
done so much for me on behalf of the little ones, for years past.
The Isleworth Nursing Association and the Osterley North Hounslow and Heston Nursing
Association are the only Voluntary Societies in direct contact with the Council's Maternity and
Child Welfare Scheme.
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