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133
Midwifery Training—Part II
A scheme for the training of midwives is undertaken in cooperation
with the British Hospital for Mothers and Babies, with
each pupil spending 3 months on the district.
No. of Pupils completing Course during year 27
No. of Pupils in Training at 31/12/71 6*
*British Hospital for Mothers and Babies 5
Greenwich District Hospital 1
Refresher Courses
In accordance with the rules of the Central Midwives Board,
six midwives attended Statutory Refresher Courses during the
year, each of one week's duration.
In addition, midwives were released for courses as under:—
3 Study Days—B.H.M.B.
One midwife attended a Day Release Course on "Training for
Parenthood".
Some 42 obstetric nurses spent a day with a midwife and
attended 5 ante natal G. P. Obstetrician clinics.
Cervical Cytology
Despite the general and individual publicity again utilised
during 1971 to encourage women, particularly those in "risk"
categories, to make use of this service, the surge in attendances
noted last year was not sustained.
Paradoxically, it appears that the women most at risk of
developing carcinoma of the cervix are not coming forward for
examination in sufficient numbers. This is, of course, difficult to
prove for many women are investigated in the surgeries of their
family doctors or at the Family Planning clinics with which we
have an arrangement for them to examine all who attend.
A more accurate assessment of the situation will be possible
when a new national recall scheme becomes operative. From
January 1972, the national recall scheme for routine cervical
cytology will involve forwarding to the local health authority of
a 5-year recall/report form whenever and wherever a resident
female of 35 years or over has had a cervical smear taken. As
part of this scheme it is intended that the local health authority
will remind each woman, by letter, when the next smear test
becomes due with the hope that these patients will then re-visit
their general practitioner or a clinic for further examination.
This is in addition to our own local scheme which is more extensive
in that all well women of 25 years or more, together with