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manned by personnel of the Civil Defence Ambulance Service, assisted
by certain members of the Civil Defence Rescue Service.
During the year the ambulance was used for the removal of 1,043
persons, 188 of these being accident cases and 195 removals of expectant
mothers to institutions, nursing homes etc., for confinement.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The birth rate for 1943 in Barnes was 18.0 per 1,000 population.
This is the highest rate recorded since 1921, when it was 19.1. There
has been a steady rise in the birth rate for the borough since 1938,
when it was 9.2. The increased birth rate is partly due to the smaller
population of Barnes, resulting from war-time conditions, upon which
the rate is based, but, nevertheless, the actual number of births occurring
has increased considerably.
During the year, as a result of the recommendation contained
in Ministry of Health Circular 2,729 the Council decided to
provide the services of Home Helps, to carry out domestic duties
where confinements take place at home. Some difficulty was experenced
in obtaining suitable persons for these duties, and it was not
until the end of the year that such a person was appointed. Consequently,
in only one case during the year were the services of a Home
Help provided under the scheme. This service provides a very necessary
adjunct to the maternity and child welfare services, especially
during war-time, when it is not always possible to arrange for institutional
provision for confinement.
When the Home Help is not engaged in the specific duties connected
with confinements she has been employed to augment the staffs of the
two war-time day nurseries.
Later in the year it was decided to extend the scheme for the
provision of Home Helps to include attendance at other types of cases,
such as serious illness, where some home help is required in emergency,
this extension being subject to the condition that maternity cases take
precedence.
As reported in my Annual Report for 1942 two war-time day
nurseries were opened during that year. In the Appendix, Table
39, details of the admissions, discharges and attendances made by
children during the part of 1942 from the opening of the nurseries,
and during the whole of 1943, are given for information as to the use
made of this very necessary war-time provision.
On the 1st June, 1943, the Adoption of Children (Regulation) Act,
1939, came into operation. This has been introduced to regulate the
making of arrangements by Adoption Societies and other persons in
connection with the adoption of children. The Health Visitors, who
are already appointed Infant Life Protection Visitors, are undertaking
the necessary visitation and enquiries in connection with the new Act.