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24
Maternity Outfits.—Twenty sterilised maternity outfits were
issued during the year—15 were sold at cost price, 4 at reduced price
and 1 was supplied free of cost.
Consultants in Difficult Maternity Cases.—There was no case
during the year in which the services of an obstetric specialist were
required in connection with difficult confinement.
Emergency Obstetric Service.—The emergency obstetric unit
attached to Hackney Hospital was not used during the year.
Home Helps.—The Council's home help scheme continued in
operation throughout 1944. At the end of the year 9 women were
being employed and during the year 180 applications for the services
of these women were received. Of these applications 69 were
subsequently withdrawn for various reasons, mostly because of
evacuation during the flying bomb attack. Wages paid totalled
£999, and £165 was collected from parents.
The services of experienced women for 14 days from the time of
confinement were of undoubted value and expressions of appreciation
were received in several cases.
Day Nurseries.—The Council's eight War-time Day Nurseries
continued to function throughout the year despite unusual difficulties.
Unfortunately, the three Toddlers' Nurseries, established at Rest
Centres and controlled by the London County Council, were
damaged by enemy action, necessitating closure.
The "Fernhurst" Nursery in Upper Clapton Road had to
close for one month for necessary war damage repairs to be carried
out, and several of the municipal nurseries received superficial
damage as a result of enemy action but, with the exception of the
"Fernhurst" Nursery mentioned above, no disruption of work
occurred.
The eight nurseries provide accommodation for 415 children
under the age of five years. The total number of attendances made
by the children during the year was 77,771. This number would
have been much larger but for the fact that during the flying bomb
period many of the nursery children were evacuated to safer areas.
In July, 1944, the Ministry of Health enquired whether the
Council could assist by transferring some of the nursery staff to
residential nurseries about to be opened in reception areas to care
for the children of evacuated expectant mothers, and one matron
and two nursery nurses spent several weeks in Cumberland.