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The above table shows the changing pattern of the midwifery service over recent years.
Whereas in the past the majority of normal confinements took place at home, the trend now is
to admit women to hospital for their confinement and if there are no complications, to discharge
them home within 48 hours to the care of the domiciliary midwife.
To avoid the midwife becoming a maternity nurse, arrangements have been made with a
number of maternity hospitals for the domiciliary midwife who has looked after a woman in the
ante-natal period to carry out the delivery in hospital and then continue supervision of the
patient at home after early discharge.
The hospitals co-operating in this scheme at the end of 1969 are
Hainault Maternity Hospital, Erith
West Hill Hospital, Dartford
Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup.
TRAINING OF MIDWIVES
A number of the domiciliary midwives are recognised by the Central Midwives Board as teachers
for the district training of pupil midwives. The number of midwives so recognised was 5 in 1965
and 10 in 1969. The number of pupils dealt with each year has increased from 16 in 1965 to 40
in 1969.
Pupils attached to midwives have come from the following hospitals
Bexley Maternity Hospital, Bexleyheath Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup
British Hospital for Mothers and Babies, Woolwich Beckenham Hospital, Beckenham (from 1969)
West Hill Hospital, Dartford
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