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30
Prior to 1st April, 1965 the domiciliary midwifery service of the London
County Council was based on both direct employment of midwives and on
arrangements with district nursing associations and hospitals. These arrangements
continued unchanged. An assistant nursing officer was appointed to act as nonmedical
supervisor of midwives, her duties to include such other supervisory
nursing duties which may be allocated to her.
To ensure that an expectant mother should be able without delay to secure
the services of a midwife, joint arrangements with the adjacent boroughs of
Southwark and Wandsworth were made. Outside office hours and at other times in
case of difficulty, requests from residents in the three boroughs for midwives
were centralised through the Information Centre at Lambeth Town Hall, through
which midwives could also get in touch with a non-medical supervisor for advice
and guidance when necessary. The arrangements worked satisfactorily. (See
page 43).
MIDWIVES ACT 1951
The Council is the local supervising authority under the Midwives Act 1951,
supervising functions under the Act being carried out by the Council's non-medical
supervisor of midwives, The number of midwives who notified their intention to
practise as midwives within the borough, including those in hospitals, and who
were practising at the end of the year was 251.
FAMILY PLANNING: MARRIAGE GUIDANCE
The Council makes available to the Family Planning Association free of
charge accommodation at certain Welfare Centres. Similar facilities are granted
to the London Marriage Guidance Council for counselling sessions.
Weekly family planning sessions are held under this arrangement and payment
is made to the Family Planning Association for advice on family planning on medical
grounds to mothers referred by the Council's medical officers, or by general
practitioners through the Medical Officer of Health.
DAY CARE OF CHILDREN
Nurseries and Child-minders Regulation Act 1948
The Act requires that any person who intends to open a day nursery for the
daily care of children under 5 years of age, or to receive, for reward, into her own
home for daily care, more than two children aged under 5 to whom she is not
closely related, shall, before doing so, apply to the local health authority for
registration. Seven nurseries (200 places) and 11 persons (child-minders) were
registered at the end of the year.