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136
District Midwifery Services.
The publication of the Interim Report of the Departmental Committee
on Maternal Mortality was received in the late autumn, and in view of
its recommendations the City Council reviewed its maternity services as
outlined below.
Consequent upon the resignation of the Council's midwife on the 1st
October, the Public Health Committee sanctioned temporary arrangements
with Miss Rossi, a private midwife who normally acted as deputy
for some years, for the continuation of its district midwifery services.
The Committee had under consideration the interim report of the Departmental
Committee of the Minister of Health on Maternal Mortality and
paid particular attention to the recommendations of that report as
regards what are termed "essential services" of a maternity scheme.
The Committee when considering the permanent organisation of its midwifery
services also had in view the possibilities of embracing certain of
the recommendations, already referred to above, in order to render its
services complete. It is desirable that so far as is possible there should
be available in the City for any necessitous woman who wishes to take
advantage of such assistance, a fully efficient service before, during, and
after her confinement.
The "essential services" referred to above may be summed up as
follows:—
(1) The provision in every case of the services of a qualified midwife
to act either as midwife or as maternity nurse.
(2) The provision of a doctor to carry out ante-natal and post-natal
examination in every case, and to attend during pregnancy,
labour and the puerperium, as may prove necessary, all cases
showing any abnormality.
(3) The provision of a consultant, when desired by the doctor in
attendance, during pregnancy, labour and the puerperium.
(4) The provision of hospital beds for such cases as need institutional
care.
(5) The provision of certain ancillary services (e.g., transport,
sterilised equipment, laboratory facilities).
The authorities of Westminster Hospital were therefore invited to
co-operate in framing a district midwifery scheme which would supplement
and complete the indoor maternity service which they had been
carrying out on behalf of the City Council for almost two years. The
ease and readiness with which the negotiations with the hospital were