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7
Nursing in the Home.
General. The Nurses of the Twickenham Nursing Association continued the home nursing
of persons who were suffering from those diseases for the nursing of which the Council is able
to make provision. Three whole-time nurses are now employed. The Council contribute £100
to the Association for these services.
From the monthly returns received, the following visits were recorded as paid to patients
who came under the Council's scheme:—
Visits paid to patients under 5 years, 1010 ; over 5 years, 553.
Total visits paid, 1563.
Nursing of Infectious Cases. Cases of Pneumonia, Whooping Cough and Ophthalmia
Neonatorum, were nursed in their own homes. Provision for home nursing of cases of puerperal
fever was not required during the year.
Midwives.
The number of Midwives who declared their intention of practising in the district during
the year was 21.
Applications were received for assistance in providing the services of a midwife from 6
necessitious women who desired to be confined in their own homes, and all were granted.
Home Helps.
The services of a home help were granted in 3 cases.
The home helps assist in the domestic duties of the homes during the time that the mother
is incapacitated on account of her confinement or some complication of pregnancy. No wholetime
home help has been appointed, but the patient is allowed to select her own help, provided
the person selected is not a relative, and the selection is approved by the Medical Officer.
The arrangements for the provision of midwives and home helps have functioned
satisfactorily and the assistance granted in this way has been appreciated.
Although a large number of women enter lying-in hospitals and nursing homes for their
confinement, it is a matter of very considerable difficulty for a mother to do this when a family
of young children have to be left at home especially when, as so frequently happens, a suitable
relative cannot be found who is able to undertake this very important duty. It is in cases such
as this that the assistance given by providing a midwife and a home help is so valuable, as the
mother can remain at home and exercise supervision even if not able to participate actively in the
household duties for the time being.
Nursing Homes.
The Middlesex County Council are the supervising authority for maternity homes in the
Borough. The number of nursing homes in Twickenham at the end of the year was 9.
LEGISLATION IN FORCE.
The adoptive Acts and Bye-Laws which are in force in the Borough, and which have
been set out in detail in previous reports, remained unaltered.
HOSPITALS.
For Smallpox.
The provision of hospital treatment for smallpox is made by the Middlesex County Council
under the " Prevention and Treatment of Smallpox Regulations, 1928."
For Other Infectious Diseases.
The Twickenham Hospital for infectious diseases passed over to the control of the Joint
Hospital Board on April 1st, 1935.
The transfer of the hospital closed a chapter in the history of public health administration
in Twickenham which opened many years ago.
It has not been possible to fix the date on which Twickenham first established an infectious
diseases hospital. A small hospital at the Mereway was erected by Twickenham Local Board in
1883. This building still exists although it has not been used as a hospital for a long time. Before
the Mereway Hospital was erected a cottage hospital was leased and appeared to be in use at the
date of the formation of the Local Board. I remember, many years ago, a small derelict cottage
on the Mereway allotments being indicated to me as the old fever hospital. If this was correct
it was indeed a " cottage " hospital in the true sense of the word.
By action with other Authorities it has now become possible to have a modern hospital of
sufficient size to provide medical and other services of a character which would be impossible
in the case of a small institution serving one district only. The enlarged Mogden Hospital will
ultimately be the finest infectious diseases hospital in Middlesex.