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36
the cost of a place in the same way as with the Local Authority Nurseries.
This policy has now been implemented and next year I hope to
report on how effective the innovation has been.
The free places available in each nursery for children on medical
grounds were always fully occupied, and the details of all attendances
are shown in appendix 11
The implementation of that part of the Health Services, and Public
Health Act 1963, amending the Nurseries and Child Minders Regulation
Act 1948, has demanded much of our professional and administrative
workers this year.
At the beginning of the year all new applicants for registration were
interviewed by a senior medical officer and a health visitor, but under
pressure of numbers this policy was changed so that health visitors
interviewed all prospective childminders and referred any difficult cases
to a doctor in the Department for decision. Where registration is for more
than 7 children, the applicant is seen as a matter of course by a medical
officer, along with a health visitor.
At the beginning of 1969, there were 29 childminders and 56 day
nurseries registered in Redbridge; on December 31st 1969, there were
110 childminders and 79 day nurseries for the care of 3,218 children.
During the year, two mothers with one child each were sent away
for a total of 4 weeks convalescence.
Private Day
Nurseries and
Child Minders
Convalescence
SECTION 23 - MIDWIFERY
There were 3,458 births (3,414 live and 44 stillbirths) to Redbridge
mothers in 1969 and of these 599 were born at home, making a hospital
confinement rate of 83*^and a.domiciliary confinement rate of 17^. There
was 1 domiciliary stillbirth, and no maternal deaths were recorded
among either hospital or domiciliary confinements.
Domiciliary
Confinement
Rate
Miss M. A. Potter, Superintendent of Midwives and District Nurses,
reports as follows on the Domiciliary Midwifery Service —