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35
Miss Watson has been succeeded as Superintendent of the District Nurses by Miss Browning,
her Chief Assistant, and to both I would express thanks for their loyal co-operation and
assistance in the work of the Department.
MATERNITY HOME.
The Fulham Borough Council Maternity Home is situated at 706, Fulham Road, S.W.6. It
has ten beds for patients, with an isolation ward containing one bed. No antenatal beds are
provided.
The primary purpose of the Home is to ensure that mothers whose own homes arc
not suitable or convenient for their confinements should have such privacy and proper
attention as is desirable.
It may be mentioned here that a new Maternity Home and Health Centre is in course of
erection at Parson's Green, and this will greatly extend the possibilities of the work of this
Department. The Council's arrangements for this are already well in hand, and will be described
in next year's Report. The new Maternity Home will be provided with antenatal beds—a
welcome addition to our present facilities.
The Staff from the Maternity Home attend at the antenatal clinics to receive their practical
training in antenatal work. The Maternity Home is recognised as a training school by the
Central Midwives Board, and trained nurses are prepared for the certificate of that Board.
The following is a record of the work done at the Maternity Home during 1936: —
Cases admitted 225
Average duration of stay (days) 14
Number of cases notified as Puerperal Pyrexia 1
Number of cases notified as Ophthalmia Neonatorum 3
Number of cases of Infectious disease -
Number of infants not entirely breast-fed while in the institution —
Number of maternal deaths —
Number of foetal deaths (stillborn or within ten days of birth) 7
The highest fee charged during 1936/37 was £9: 10: 0d., for the two weeks, and the
average fee charged was €3: 9: 3d. The cost per patient per week to the Council before
deduction of patients' fees was £3: 14: 5d., for the financial year 1936/37.
DAY NURSERY.
The Fulham Day Nursery is situated at Eridge House, Fulham Park Road, S.W.6, and is
under the control of a Voluntary Committee. The Council makes a grant of £626 per annum to
the Day Nursery, in addition to providing thr- services of myself and the Assistant Medical
Officer for Maternity and Child Welfare as Medical Officers. The institution is visited by one
or other of us five times weekly
Children are admitted to the Nursery between the ages of six weeks and five years; the
mothers pay a small fee. The Nursery is intended to receive the children of mothers who must
go out to work daily, and it is a great advantage to such children to be under trained care
instead of being left to the mercy of kindly but often ignorant neighbours.