View report page

64
Stoke Newington in a group of boroughs known as Area A, to serve
which six midwives, including two who are resident in Hackney,
have been appointed by the County Council.
In addition, certain hospitals and nursing associations in the
Area have entered into agreements with the County Council to
provide midwives to undertake confinements in patients' homes, and
arrangements have also been made with various nursing associations,
including the Hackney District Nursing Association, to provide
maternity nurses to assist medical practitioners at confinements.
Full co-operation between the Borough Council's ante-natal
clinics and the County Council's midwives has been arranged.
Emergency Obstetric Service.—During the year the Council
entered into an arrangement with the County Council under which
the County Council will provide an emergency obstetric service to
deal with acute obstetric emergencies in connection with patients
who cannot be removed to hospital without undue risk and whose
case could not be adequately met by the obstetric consultant
service of the Borough. It is anticipated that the majority of
patients for whom this service will be needed will be cases of
post-partum haemorrhage.
The emergency unit will consist of an ambulance staffed by a
doctor with special obstetric experience and a midwife, and
equipped with all necessary apparatus and material, including
the apparatus necessary for carrying out blood transfusion.
Should it be necessary for a blood transfusion to be undertaken
a supply of blood can be readily obtained from one of the County
Council's hospitals in which arrangements have been made for
keeping a store of blood.
This service is available to medical practitioners and midwives
at any hour of the day or night upon telephone application to
the London County Council's Ambulance Service. Midwives have
the right to call out the emergency unit only if they find it impossible
to find a doctor speedily and the emergency is grave.
These arrangements came into operation on 20th February,
1939.
Maternity Outfits.—Sterilised maternity outfits are kept at the
Town Hall for issue to expectant mothers who arrange for their
confinements to take place in their homes. These outfits are
supplied to the Council at a cost of 6s. Od. each, and are issued to
applicants at or below cost price, or free of cost to persons who are
unable to make a contribution.
Sixty-four outfits were issued during the year. Fourteen were
sold at cost price, 12 at a reduced price, and 38 were supplied