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Domiciliary Midwifery Service . National Health Service Act, 1946, Section 23.
On 1st April, 1965, the Council's duty to provide a domiciliary midwifery service was discharged
through the Council's own midwives and those employed by a local hospital. The increase
in the number of hospital beds available for maternity cases resulted in a decrease in domiciliary
confinements, making it possible for Council midwives to undertake all domiciliary confinements
without increasing the establishment. To improve continuity of care, mothers were seen by the
general practitioner-obstetricians with the domiciliary midwives, either in the Council's clinics
or in the surgeries of the general practitioner-obstetricians.
The scheme for plan ned 48-hour discharges for mothers from maternity hospitals to their
own homes was also extended. 119 mothers were nursed at home under these arrangements.More
than 100 mothers who took their own discharge were also nursed at home.
Pupil midwives from Fulham Maternity Hospital and Queen Charlotte's Hospital gained
practical experience with the Council's domiciliary midwives. The liaison between maternity
hospitals, general practitioner-obstetricians, and domiciliary midwives was extended further by
the opening of St. Mary Abbots general practitioner unit. This comprises a five-bedded lying-in
ward and a labour room.
Patients who are booked for the unit are cared for by the general practitioner-obstetricians
and domiciliary midwives during the ante-natal period, with two visits to the hospital in early
pregnancy to confirm normality. During labour the midwife accompanies the patient from her home
to the unit, delivers her, and settles her in the lying-in ward.
A hotel service is provided by the hospital, medical and nursing attention being provided
by the general practitioner-obstetrician and domiciliary midwife in the unit until the patient is
discharged home. She is then care for in the same way as a home confinement until the 10th day.
health Visiting - National Health Service Act, 1946, Section 24.
Home visiting by health visitors continues to be the main channel for the family to obtain
the social advice and health education geared to its own particular need.
Visits to immigrant families have not only been instrumental in providing a source of information
on services available, but have provided the much needed reassurance required by
young mothers far from familiar surroundings and family support Health teaching through formal
and informal methods has continued and there has been expansion in some schools. The equivalent
of one whole-time health visitor is engaged on this work in schools within the Borough.
Health Visitor liaison with general practitioners and local hospitals continues to progress,
and the exchange of information enables a better service to be given to the families.
The total number of visits paid to families by health visitors during the year was 69,001
(61,343).
Surveys.
In addition to their normal visiting, health visitors assisted in the following surveys in
which the Council is co-operating with other organisations:-
Name of Survey
In co-operation with
Mother and Baby Unit Follow-up Downview and Banstead Hospitals.
Investigation into fatal diseases Department of Social Medicine of
of childhood Oxford University.
Follow-up of children vaccinated Medical Research Council,
against measlesln the autumn of 1964.
Survey of children suffering from Greater London Council Research
Spina Bifida and Intelligence Department.
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