View report page

DISTRIBUTION OF WELFARE FOODS
During 1955 the number of sessions at three distribution centres was reduced because the W.V.S.
found it difficult to provide the staff.
There has been little or no inconvenience to the public as there is a centre open every dav.
MIDWIFERY SERVICE
At the beginning of the year, six midwives were employed in Willesden by the County Council.
During the year, three midwives left, and as the number of bookings had been reduced, only two were
replaced, making a total of five midwives.
In addition, four or five pupil midwives work in Willesden for three months as part of their
second period training for the Central Midwives Board Examination. They work under the supervision
of midwives who are approved Midwife teachers.
The general practitioner and the midwife supervise the care of the expectant mother. When a
mother chooses both a general practitioner and a midwife for her confinement, the doctor supervises the
care of the expectant mother, and arranges for the taking of a blood specimen and a routine chest X-Ray.
The midwife examines the mother at her special clinic (Table 1), visits her at home, and ensures that
everything is prepared for the confinement.
A mother who chooses a midwife only for her confinement attends the local health clinic, where
the assistant medical officer makes the initial medical examination, takes a blood specimen, and arranges for
a chest X-Ray. She then attends the midwife's clinic regularly throughout her pregnancy, and is instructed
on the use of the apparatus for gas and air analgesia. The assistant medical officer examines the mother again
at the 36th week of pregnancy and gives a certificate of fitness for gas and air analgesia.
The midwives administered analgesia to 293 mothers (90% of the 326 confinements) and pethidine
was given to 103 mothers (32%). 255 of the 293 mothers who had gas and air anagelsia during labour
had substantial relief from pain. (Table 2).
Midwives work very closely with general practitioners. Midwives attended at 326 confinements;
both a general practitioner and a midwife were booked for 225 and both were present at 46. (Table 3).
When a midwife attends a case on her own. and requires help, she must call in a doctor, according
to the rules of the Central Midwives Board. The midwives called in doctors 84 times. (Table 4).
For serious emergencies, the midwife or doctor calls the Central Middlesex Hospital for the
obstetric flying squad, consisting of an ambulance, a doctor, a nurse, two ambulance men, and blood transfusion
apparatus. The flying squad was called out twice during the year for ante-partum haemorrhage.
The Hammersmith Hospital premature baby unit provides a special ambulance for transporting
premature babies who require treatment in their unit. The ambulance is accompanied by two qualified nurses
with special training in the care of premature babies, and it carries a special equipment including a fitted cot
and apparatus for administering oxygen. The ambulance is sent for at the request of the doctor who has
been called for medical aid by the midwife. Five babies were admitted to the unit during the year.