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NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE ACT, 1946.
SECTION 22: CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN.
Expectant and Nursing Mothers.
Facilities provided for Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Care continued with nine weekly
combined ante-natal and post-natal sessions at the Municipal Centres, and one at the
South West Ham Health Society's Clinic. Patients attend by appointment and the medical
examinations are undertaken by the Council's Medical Officers.
Blood tests are carried out on patients attending these clinics, in co-operation
with Forest Gate Hospital laboratory. They include Kahn, Rhesus factor, Blood group and
% Haemoglobin in every case.
Chest X-ray.
The arrangements started In 1953 have continued. Every expectant mother attending
the Ante-Natal Clinics is offered an appointment for chest X-ray at a special session of the
Mass Miniature Radiography Unit held at one of the Welfare Centres. Mothers booked for
Plaistow Maternity Hospital and by the Plaistow Domiciliary Midwives also attend these
sessions. The special facilities provided by the Unit are much appreciated, but unfortunately
they can only be made available at three-monthly intervals. For a number of reasons attendance
for chest X-ray will probably not be very satisfactory until there is a static miniature X-ray
Unit in the Borough. When this has been achieved, it is hoped to extend the facilities to
fathers.
Patients requiring specialist's advice are usually referred to a consultant at one of
the three Maternity Units in the Borough.
The ante-natal and post-natal care of women who have booked a domiciliary midwife from
the service provided, on an agency basis, by the Plaistow Maternity Hospital, is at present
undertaken on the Hospital's premises, and the medical examinations are conducted by the
Hospital's medical officers.
Arrangements are made for those women who book a domiciliary midwife from the Essex
County Council or Silvertown and North Woolwich District Nursing Association to attend the
Municipal Clinics for their medical examinations.
1,660 expectant mothers have made a total of 9,899 attendances. 418 mothers attended
for examination during the post-natal period and made a total of 482 attendances; this is
11% of the total of 542 domiciliary confinements.
Unaarrled Mothers. Close co-operation has been maintained with the Moral Welfare Worker
employed by the Chelmsford Diocesan Moral Welfare Association, who is resident in the Borough
at St. Agatha's Hostel.
In May, 1954, the Council was invited to appoint a representative to the Committee
which manages the Hostel. The Senior Assistant Medical Officer was appointed and has greatly
appreciated this opportunity to become more familiar with the work of the Association.
During the year nine West Ham mothers, who were in need of care and accommodation, were
admitted to St. Agatha's. Of these, six were admitted before and three after the birth of the
baby, Five West Ham unmarried mothers were admitted to hostels outside the area. When,
necessary the Council has contributed towards the maintenance charges.
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