Chapter IV

Services for Mothers and Children

62. —(1) A health board shall make available without charge medical, surgical and midwifery services for attendance to the health, in respect of motherhood, of women who are persons with full eligibility or persons with limited eligibility.

(2) A woman entitled to receive medical services under this section may choose to receive them from any registered medical practitioner who has entered into an agreement with the health board for the provision of those services and who is willing to accept her as a patient.

(3) When a woman avails herself of services under this section for a confinement taking place otherwise than in a hospital or maternity home, the health board shall provide without charge obstetrical requisites to such extent as may be specified by regulations made by the Minister.

63. —(1) A health board shall make available without charge medical, surgical and nursing services for children up to the age of six weeks whose mothers are entitled to avail themselves of services under section 62.

(2) Services under this section shall be provided for a child by any registered medical practitioner whom the parent of the child has chosen, who has entered into an agreement with the health board for the provision of those services and who is willing to accept the child as a patient.

64. —(1) A health board shall pay a cash grant in respect of each confinement to a woman who is a person with full eligibility, who fulfils the prescribed conditions and whom it is not proposed to maintain in an institution after the confinement (otherwise than for the purpose of medical or surgical treatment) by or at the expense of the health board.

(2) The amount of a grant under this section shall be—

(a) where there is live issue, £8 in respect of each child born alive,

(b) where there is no live issue, £8.

(3) In deciding whether or not he shall make an order under the Illegitimate Children (Affiliation Orders) Act, 1930 , relating to an illegitimate child for payment of expenses incidental to the birth of the child, the Justice shall not take into consideration the fact that the mother of the child is entitled to a grant under this section.

(4) In this section “confinement” means labour resulting in the issue of a living child, or labour after twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy resulting in the issue of a living or dead child.

65. —(1) A health board may make arrangements for the supply of milk to expectant mothers with full eligibility, nursing mothers with full eligibility, and children under five years of age whose parents are unable from their own resources to provide the children with an adequate supply of milk.

(2) In this section “milk” includes foods derived wholly or mainly from milk.

66. —(1) A health board shall make available without charge at clinics, health centres or other prescribed places a health examination and treatment service for children under the age of six years.

(2) A health board shall make available without charge a health examination and treatment service for pupils attending a national school or a school to which this section has been applied by an order under subsection (3).

(3) When the governing body of a school which is not a national school so requests, a health board may at its discretion by order apply this section to the school.

(4) A school manager may be required, when notice has been given to him by a health board, to provide reasonable facilities for an examination under this section.

(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorising a health board to provide any general domiciliary service or any services such as are mentioned in section 52, 56 or 67.