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an appointment be considered, to establish additional sessions for
the routine medical supervision of the young child between the
age of 2 years and entry to school. Children over the age of 2
years are only rarely brought to the Maternity and Child Welfare
Clinics so that many still enter school suffering from defects which
should have been dealt with under your Maternity and Child Welfare
Scheme.
As a result of the post-natal examination, it will become
necessary to review the facilities available for the treatment of
such defects as may be found. At present gynaecological cases
are mainly referred by the clinic medical officers for diagnosis and
treatment to the consultants at the local hospitals (Queen Mary's
and St. Mary's Hospitals). A certain number of women are sent
at their own request to other hospitals in London. When inpatient
treatment is required, the above-mentioned gynaecological
unit at Whipps Cross Hospital should be made available, the
patients being referred through the consultative post-natal clinics
(see section V (3) ), or alternatively, the local Voluntary Hospitals
might be approached as to their willingness to deal with
these cases.
But many cases of minor defect will be found to require only
out-patient treatment which could best be carried out at the local
hospitals.
V "There is need for the extension of the consultant service to
include:—
(a) the establishment of a separate consultative antenatal
clinic session to which all cases of doubt or difficulty
discovered by medical practitioners or at any of
the ante-natal clinics in the Borough may be referred;
(b) the appointment of an obstetric consultant to the staff
of Forest Gate Public Assistance Institution for all
purposes in connection with the maternity unit;
(c) the appointment of an obstetric consultant for service
in connection with cases of complicated midwifery in
the home."
In order to deal with the suggestions of the Ministry under
(a) (b) and (c) above, I propose for your consideration that a
Part-time Consultant Obstetric Surgeon be appointed to the
Council's Medical Staff at a salary appropriate to the status of
such a medical officer. The duties of the Consultant to be as
follows:—
(1) Consultant Surgeon to the Council's Maternity Unit at
present situated at Forest Gate Hospital (see Section II,
page 2).
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