View report page

Convalescence for Nursing Mothers and Infants,
St. Mary's Convalescent Home, Birchington-on-Sea.
As in 1930, the Council again rented two beds at this Home;
full advantage was taken throughout the year of this arrangement,
so that it was possible to send thirty-three mothers and thirty-one
infants (under 6 months of age) to the Home, each for a period
of three weeks. Letters are frequently received from these
mothers while they are away, full of expressions of gratitude
for the care and kind attention given to them by the Matron and
her staff. To many of these women a holiday seems an impossibility
and absolutely unattainable: the complete change from an
over-crowded house and district to an airy Home in healthy, beautiful
surroundings, plus the freedom from home worries, with often
inadequate diet, soon brings back a sense of well-being and health
to these women. The mothers are recommended by the Medical
Officers of the Clinics or by the Health Visitors: each mother and
infant is examined immediately before being sent to the Home by
the Medical Officer for Maternity and Child Welfare.
In August and September of 1931, as a result of the very kind
invitation of Miss Knowles, of Spilsill Court, Staplehurst, Kent,
four mothers with their infants were sent, each for a holiday of
three weeks, as her guests at the Lodge of Spilsill Court. The
kindness shewn to these mothers was gratefully appreciated not
only by the patients, but by all the members of the Maternity and
Child Welfare Committee.
Maternity and Nursing Homes in the Borough.
There were three registered Maternity Homes in the Borough
at the beginning of 1931, 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 had
accommodation for other types of patients in addition to maternity
cases. As reported in the Annual Report of 1930, in March, 1931,
it was found necessary to cancel the registration of one of these
Homes, owing to the unsatisfactory conditions prevailing there.
This Home was accordingly closed in March, 1931, for maternity
and other cases. There is one other small Nursing Home in the
Borough, with accommodation for four chronic medical or senile
cases.
These Homes are all registered under the Nursing Homes'
Registration Act, 1927, and are inspected periodically.
158