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Smallpox.—The London County Council are prepared to receive cases
of Smallpox from this area into the London Smallpox Hospital so long as
they have sufficient accommodation available.
2. Maternity and Child Welfare:—
(1) Midwifery and Maternity Services.—Nurse Dixon and Nurse
Straw have resigned their appointments and Nurse Marlow and Nurse
Turner have been appointed to take their place. We have three Municipal
Midwives working in the district. Except for ante-natal visiting they devote
the whole of their time to midwifery.
The number of cases attended by them was as follows:—
(a) As Midwives 158
(b) As Maternity Nurses 39
Number of visits paid by these Midwives:—
(a) Number of cases 197
(b) Ante-natal visits 1,297
(c) Nursing visits 2,981
Ante-natal Supervision.- This is given to all women attended by the
Municipal Midwives and in every case one or more examinations are made
and if necessary treatment is given by a doctor of the patient's choice. In
necessitous cases the fees for the medical services are paid by the Council.
In 1940 payments were made to medical practitioners in 21 cases.
Consultant.—This appointment is now vacant.
(2) Institutional Provision for Mothers or Children.—Over fifty per
cent.—306 out of 545—births in Wanstead and Woodford occurred in
private nursing homes.
3. Health Visitors.—Miss Rhodes began her duties as Health Visitor
on 26th February in succession to Miss Smith.
The following particulars of the work done by the Health Visitors are
taken from Form M.C.W.96 (Revised), which was sent to the Ministry of
Health in advance of this report.
Number of visits paid during the year by the Health Visitors:—
(a) To children under one year of age:—
First visits 507
Total visits 2208
(b) To children between the ages of one and five years:—
Total visits 2663
Infant Welfare Centres.—In the year under review, enemy action has
interfered considerably with our normal routine at our welfare centres.
We have kept our centres open for medical consultation and for the supply
of infant foods, but in view of the frequent raid warnings we have not
encouraged mothers to linger at the centres. These conditions have also
interfered with the accurate keeping of records. The following attendances