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Domiciliary Midwifery (National Health Service Act, 1946 - Section 23)
The Borough's domiciliary midwifery service was extended in July to co-incide with the
end of the arrangement by which, up to that time, district midwives from Queen Charlotte's Hospital
had attended domiciliary confinements in the North of the Borough. Thus the Borough midwives
undertook all the domiciliary confinements throughout the whole area. This service co-operated
with the family doctor service through arrangements by which general practitioner obstetricians
saw their booked patients in Borough clinics with Borough midwives in attendance, whilst the
midwives attended similar sessions in the doctors' own surgeries.
Planned Early Discharge Scheme.
At the same time the planned early discharge scheme was extended to provide for the
discharge, to the care of midwives and general practitioners in the North of the Borough, of up to
six patients a month from Queen Charlotte's Hospital. This brought to 32 the total number of
patients who could be looked after under the scheme, as follows:
Date: Discharged from: Discharged to: Number discharged:
1.4.65. Hammersmith Hospital Area North of Goldhawk Road. 12 per month.
1.4.65. St. Mary Abbot's Hospital Area South of Goldhawk Road. 4 per month.
Sept. 1965. Princess Beatrice Hospital Area South of Goldhawk Road. 2 per month.
Sept. 1965. St. Stephens Hospital Area South of Goldhawk Road. 2 per month.
Sept. 1065. Queen Charlotte's Hospital Area South of Goldhawk Road. 6 per month.
July, 1966. Queen Charlotte's Hospital Area North of Goldhawk Road. 6 per month.
Total 32
Health Visitors (National Health Service Act, 1946 - Section 24)
Health Visitors, midwives and home nurses continued to work in close co-operation with
general practitioners in the area, the midwives attending ante-natal clinics held in the surgeries
of some general practitioner-obstetricians.
As in previous years the health visitors' work included health teaching, parentcraft and
discussion groups and they prepared students in a number of schools in the area for the Junior
Red Cross course.
The Nursing Officers arranged visits to establishments for some 800 students and other
persons, including visitors from abroad. These not only gave the visitors an insight into the
services provided by the Borough but helped them to a better understanding of the way in which
the services of the local authority, complement those of the other branches of the National Health
Service.
Health Visiting
Medical Officers, health visitors and home nurses attended hospitals in the Borough to
discuss with paediatricians, geriatricians and medical social workers, the background, care and
after-care of patients known to them. In addition, four health visitors co-operated with general
practitioners by attending well-baby sessions at their surgeries, and by following up cases as
necessary. Health visitors continued to undertake work in connection with the following studies
in which the Borough's co-operation was requested by hospitals and research organisations:-
(38)