[Report 1924] / Medical Officer of Health, Darlington County Borough.

  • Darlington (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1924
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1924] / Medical Officer of Health, Darlington County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/62 (page 11)
    5._summaiiy of nursing arrangements, HOSPITALS, AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS AVAILABLE FOR THE DISTRICT. There are four ])rivate Nursing Homes in Darlington. Home nursing is provided by the Queen’s Nurses’ Association, who are supported by voluntary subserij)tions and by eon- tributions, from the County and Borough Couneils and Friendly Soeieties. In 1919 an agreement was entered into between the Borough Couneil and the Queen’s Nurses for the home nursing of expeetant mothers, and maternity eases, of cases of puerperal fever, measles, whoo])ing cough, epidemic diarrhoea, and ophthalmia neonatorum, at a fee of one shilling per visit with a minimum of £25 per annum. In September, 1920, the Council also agreed in connexion with their joint scheme with the Durham County Council for the treatment of tuberculosis, to pay to the Queen’s Nurses the sum of tenpence per visit for tuberculosis cases nursed at home at the request of the tuberculosis medical officer. See page 9 for number of visits. The Queen’s Nurses also undertake midwifery cases, but not at the ex])ense of the Local Authority. Hospital in-})aticnt treatment is provided by the Guardians at their Infirmary at the “ Fcctham Institution,” in Yarm Road, where there arc 174 beds, including a ward of 10 betls and .‘1 shelters for tuber- culosis, and at the Darlington General llosjiital. At the General Hospital 107 beds are jirovided for medical and surgical cases of all kinds. This accommodation is not suHieicnt for the town and neighbourhood, and as adequate extension is impossible on the present site, a new site of 17 acres has been acijuired. This extension is urgently needed. The number of midwives ])ractising in Darlington during 1924 was 18, of whom 14 are trained. These midwives are in- spected by Dr. Constance Robertson, who made 218 \ isits for this purpose ; of these 185 were routine visits, 2 were on account of cases of ophthalmia neonatorum, 17 for the death of the child,