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45
MIDWIFERY SERVICE.
The advent of a general practitioner maternity service under
the National Health Service Act gave rise to certain difficulties.
Firstly, the status of the midwife booked to attend a case for whom
a doctor had also been booked as a general practitioner obstetrician.
It soon became apparent, and was confirmed by official guidance,
that in most cases the midwife would have to consider herself as
acting in that capacity, as in very few cases did the doctor wish her
to act as a maternity nurse only. Co-operation between doctors
and midwives in Croydon was, generally speaking, very good and
every effort has been made by the Local Medical Committee and
the Local Health Authority to foster and assist this relationship.
A record document for communication between doctor and midwife
regarding ante-natal examinations was issued by the Executive
Council to all general practitioner obstetricians and, whenever
possible, midwives were urged to consult directly the doctor booked
for the confinement. The feeling that both were essential partners
to assist the expectant and lying-in mother was becoming firmly
established by the close of the year.
It must be recognised, however, that there is great pressure
from the expectant mothers themselves to have their confinements
in hospitals. At present, it is greatly to their financial advantage
to do so. In the past, pressure of work has curtailed the available
time which the domiciliary midwife could give to each case, but
in the year under review the case-load in Crovdon reached that
recommended by the Working Party on 'the Midwifery Service.
If the full establishment of midwives can be maintained it is hoped
that in future they will be able to give individual attention
surpassing that afforded in hospitals.
Midwives Acts, 1902 to 1936.
The number of midwives who notified the Local Supervising
Authority of their intention to practice within the Borough during
1949 and who were practising at the end of the year, was 73,
including those who intended practising as maternity nurses.
All these were trained and held the certificate of the Central
Midwives Board.
Dr. Hegarty, the Medical Supervisor of Midwives, during the
year paid 82 visits to the homes of midwives.