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81
MIDWIFERY SERVICE
Section 23
The work of the midwifery service has continued its downward trend
during the past year. Although the number of cases booked for 1956
appears to be showing a slight increase, it is too early at this stage to
predict any appreciable rise.
The number of midwives practising in the Area has been reduced
to eight, six working in Tottenham and two in Hornsey.
The number of deliveries conducted by County Council midwives
was 421, an average of 52.6 although the number of deliveries for each
midwife was considerably higher, as owing to prolonged sickness of
one midwife, and delay in filling a vacancy, only six midwives were
working for the greater part of the year.
The pupil midwives from the Alexandra Maternity Home, Hornsey,
have continued to receive their district training in the Area and a high
standard of midwifery has been maintained.
Every midwife, whether or not employed by the County Council,
has attended an actual demonstration on the use of trichloroethylene.
One such apparatus has been in use for the latter six months of the year
and has been used with success. It is too early to forecast whether or
not this machine will be issued to every midwife.
An apparatus designed for the resuscitation of the new born has been
purchased with a view to its experimental use by means of introducing
oxygen into the infant's stomach.
Nitrous oxide and air analgesia was used in 80% of cases and pethidine
is now used generally for district midwifery.
It will be gathered from the above paragraphs that more responsibility
is being placed upon the midwife and a great deal of judgment
is called for in the safe handling of modern methods of analgesia.
The importance of refresher courses increases with the introduction
of new methods and new drugs. Two midwives from this Area attended
one week's residential refresher course in 1955. The courses are
approved by the Central Midwives' Board.
The following table shows an analysis of the midwives' work:—