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Maternity and Nursing Homes in the Borough.
There were three registered Maternity Homes in the Borough
during the year 1930: one of these being the Plaistow Maternity
Hospital, where medical help is readily available, although there
is no Resident Medical Officer. The other two Homes were
Private Nursing Homes, having part of the accommodation reserved
for a limited number of maternity cases, chronic medical
cases being treated also in both homes. As a result of several
visits paid to one of these Private Nursing Homes, conditions
were found to be so unsatisfactory that action was taken in January,
1931, to cancel the registration of this Home for maternity
and other cases. Accordingly, in March, 1931, no appeal having
been made to the Council by the Matron against the order to close
the premises as a Nursing Home, registration was cancelled, and
the Home was closed.
There is one other Nursing Home in the Borough with accommodation
for three chronic medical or senile cases.
These Homes are all registered under The Nursing Homes
Registration Act, 1928, and are inspected periodically.
During 1930 no fresh applications for registration were received.
Children Act, 1908.
On April 1st, 1930, the duties under this Act were transferred
from the Board of Guardians to the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee. As a result, the supervision of the foster-children
and of the homes of the foster-mothers is now carried out by the
Municipal Health Visitors in their respective districts.
Forty-three cases were transferred to the Maternity and
Child Welfare Department on 1st April, 1930.
Since 1st April, 1930—31st December, 1830:
Number of applications for registration as foster-mothers 22
Number of applications passed by the Committee 18
Number of applications refused by the Committee 2
Number of applications withdrawn 2
Number of visits paid to the Homes by the Health Visitor:
(a) First visits 60
(b) Total visits 269
In this Borough the foster-mother is allowed to have one
foster-child only. She is visited as a minimum every two months
by the Municipal Health Visitor of that district.
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