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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.
In the county domiciliary scheme the municipal midwives refer
their cases to the welfare centres and a closer liaison exists between
the midwife and the health visitor.
Applications for assistance towards the payment of the midwife
were received from 63 expectant mothers, 3 of which were subsequently
cancelled, and 14 were emergency cases. The cost to the
council was £57 7s. 3d. This facility is, of course, only available
where midwives in private practice are concerned and does not
extend to the cases of the county council's midwives.
Compensation at the rate of 10s. per case is paid to those midwives
in private practice whose cases after booking are confined on the
advice of the clinic medical officer in institutions. Five applications
were received from midwives during the year.
It is anticipated that the private midwife will eventually be
superseded almost entirely by the municipal scheme but until then
it is not likely that the financial assistance service will be dropped.
(vi) Obstetrical Consultants.
On five occasions only during the year was one of the council's
two obstetrical consultants called upon in emergency by doctors