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The comparable figures for England and Wales for 1949 are as follows:- stillbirth
rate 23 stillbirths per 1,000 total births, infantile mortality rate 32 deaths of infants
unter 1 year per 1,000 live births, and maternal mortality rate O.69 per 1,000 live and
stillbirths.
It is interesting to note that these stillbirth and infantile mortality rates are
the lowest on record for England and Wales.
HOME NURSING.
The year has been a difficult one for the Home Nursing Service. The demand for home
nursing has increased, partly because the chronic sick are now being sent home after a short
stay in hospital, and partly because of the needs of the aged. Many old people who live in
unfavourable conditions become ill and helpless because they are unable to care for themselves.
They may come to require nursing for long periods, but nursing alone cannot complete their
rehabilitation nor prevent relapse. The staff available to meet the increased need has not
always been sufficient. The area north of the District Railway and the small area in Silvertown
are well served, on an agency basis, by the Essex County Council (through the nurses
based on the County Nurses' Training Home, Beachcroft Road, Leytonstone, E.ll.) and the Tate
nurses, respectively® The area between the District Railway and the Docks has to be covered
by nurses employed directly by the Borough Council.
Throughout the country recruitment of home nurses is proving very difficult under
present circumstances. Locally the lack of suitable living accommodation for the nurses has
aggravated the situation. Though the service is still based on Plaistow Maternity Hospital,
where the office is situated, no nurses are now available from the staff of the hospital,
and the service has suffered a grievous loss through the resignation of Sister Chappel. Miss
Chappel has given many years of devoted service as Sister in Charge of the District Nurses,
and it will not be easy to replace her.
The home nurses themselves, and the Matron and staff of Plaistow Maternity Hospital
(including the telephone operator) have given unfailing help in times of difficulty, often at
considerable personal inconvenience. The General Practitioners have shown great consideration
in keeping their requests within the available resources of the service.
It is hoped that the present situation will be eased by the provision of suitable
accommodation for the staff, by an improvement in the conditions of service of nurses employed
in home nursing, and by the introduction of a scheme for the sponsored training of home nurses.

* Of these, 4 have resigned as from 1.1.1950 and it has not been found
possible to fill the vacancies.
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