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57
Of the patients attended by midwives acting as midwives,
242 were charged the full amount, in 116 cases no charge was
made, while 477 were assisted. The corresponding figures in
regard to the patients attended by the midwives acting as maternity
nurses were 179, 9 and 49.
Towards the end of 1939 owing to the heavier bookings of
the midwives an additional midwife was appointed, who took up
her duties early in the new year. Whereas previously the 15
midwives had worked in five groups of three the 16 were divided
into four groups of four, this allocation causing less inconvenience
in the arrangements for off-duty time. The off-duty time was
also rearranged so that instead of the times being as formerly,
a week-end (12 noon Friday to 2 p.m. Monday) every third week,
and a day off (8 a.m. to 11 p.m.) in each intervening week, they
are now a week-end (12 noon Friday to 9 a.m. Monday) every
fourth week, and a day off (12 midnight to 12 midnight) in each
intervening week. The time off under the new arrangements is
141 hours every four weeks as contrasted with the old figure of
104 hours every three weeks.
SCALE OF CHARGES.
Towards the end of the year the scale of assistance was
amended with the object of endeavouring to accord to applicants
the same measure of assistance as they would have received had
it not been for the effect of variation in the cost of living. Apart
from the fact that the increased rise in the cost of living reduced
the effective income of applicants, the position of a number was
worsened by reason of their receiving a cost of living bonus which
increased to them out of all proportion the ratio of the standard
charge for some of the Council's services. At the same time it
was decided that in future no account should be taken of the
amount received for maternity benefit which hitherto had entered
into the calculation of the contribution to be made by the applicant
for the services of the Council in connection with a confinement,
whether the service granted was that of a midwife, a home help,
or was a bed in a maternity hospital. Hitherto, except in the
case of accounts arising from the summons by a midwife of a doctor
to her patient because of some abnormal condition of the infant's
eyes, in which case no contribution towards the charge was asked
for from the parents, in all other circumstances in which the Council
was obliged to meet the account of a medical practitioner summoned
under the rules of the C.M.B. to the assistance of a midwife
a charge was made except in those cases where because of the
limited financial circumstances no contribution under the Council's
scale was to be sought. While the midwives had been instructed
to acquaint the patient, or those responsible for her that the
Council were empowered in these circumstances to look to them
to pay the practitioner's account, the rendering of the account