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16
There is no working agreement, as far as I know, between the
Dispensary and the Hospital.
THE ESSEX COTTAGE NURSING ASSOCIATION.
According to the last printed report the staff consists of a Sister-inCharge,
who is a qualified and experienced nurse-midwife, holding a
certificate for massage and electrical treatment, assisted by five others
who also hold certificates for nursing and midwifery.
The work carried out is mainly the attendance of poor women during
confinement and the lying-in period, and nursing the sick poor at their
homes.
Under the heading of general nursing 19,108 visits were made in
1919-20 to patients, averaging 74 a month.
Lying-in women, numbering 377, were attended by the Midwives,
and of these 89 had also the services of a doctor.
In addition to this work, a number of soldiers and others had
massage treatment, necessitating 364 home visits and over 6,890
attendances at the Association's home.
The work carried out by the Nurses is invariably well done and all
the rules of the Midwives' Board are strictly observed.
The Association has been carrying on its work here for the past
16 years, and its inception was mainly the outcome of local effort.
"As far as I can judge, the parent Association looks upon the Branch
as a training centre for Midwives required for the Country Districts in
Essex, but there should be no difficulty in coming to some arrangement
by which the Staff and the premises could be taken over by the Public
Health Authority, and made the nucleus for the midwifery and other
needed nursing work of the District. In this way in conjunction with
the Public Health and School Staff, provision could be made for home
nursing in time of epidemics, such as Influenza and Measles."
POOR LAW RELIEF.
I am indebted to the Clerk to the West Ham Guardians for the
following information:—