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(v) Midwives. By arrangement with the county council, the
local supervising authority under the Midwives Acts (1902-1936),
midwives practising in the borough can send their patients prior to
confinement to the ante-natal clinics at the various Lambeth
welfare centres for medical examination, and receive a written
report of the case from the medical officer. Certain midwives sent
all or nearly all their cases to the ante-natal clinics for medical
examination, but the great majority failed to take advantage,
either for themselves or their patients.
The number of reports sent to midwives in response to the
applications received was 48, as opposed to 47 last year, 25 in
1935, 8 in 1934, 61 in 1933, 64 in 1932, 83 in 1931, and i49 in 1930.
Seeing that some seven to eight hundred confinements conducted
by midwives take place yearly, the poor response of the midwives is
significant, and may be compared with the present attendance of
foster mothers at the welfare centres now that infant life protection
measures are supervised by the borough council in place
of the county council (See page 37).
In the county domiciliary scheme the municipal midwives will
refer their cases to the welfare centres and the closest liaison will
exist between the midwife and the health visitor.
Applications for assistance towards the payment of the midwife
were received from 94 expectant mothers, 3 of which were subsequently
cancelled, and 11 were emergency cases. The cost to the
council was £88 13s. 0d.