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8
stration to the mother at the ante-natal clinic this service is now
provided whenever asked for.
The provision of a home-help service for families unable to make
their own arrangements is made from a panel of women who offer
their services for this work and in the opinion of the health visitor
are considered suitable for such employment. In Tottenham, where
so many women are in full or part-time employment in occupations
vital to the national effort, there has been difficulty in maintaining
an adequate supply of home-helps for other than maternity cases.
During the year, 113 requests were provided for, and full financial
aid granted in 72 cases.
Arrangements for maternity hospital beds are made directly
with the North Middlesex Hospital and The Mothers' Hospital,
Clapton. Other cases are admitted to maternity hospitals within
the London region ; or under the ' 'evacuation'' scheme of the London
County Council as a temporary extension of a war-time measure.
The following table shows the distribution of hospital confinements
during the year:—
The Mothers' Hospital, Clapton 268
The North Middlesex Hospital 469
Other London Hospitals 396
Under the "evacuation" scheme 58
Total hospital confinements 1,191
Owing to the general shortage of maternity bed accommodation,
it was necessary in some cases to discharge women as early as the
fourth day after confinement, in which cases the subsequent nursing
for the remainder of the lying-in period was carried out by the
municipal midwives in the home.
(3) Post-natal care.
The importance of post-natal care in the prevention of any
serious disability arising from child-birth in later years, is a feature
of the clinic service. Every mother is advised to attend for postnatal
examination six weeks after the delivery of the child; and an
appointment system is in operation to avoid unnecessary loss of
time particularly important in the case of the mother who has