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MIDWIFERY SERVICE
Section 23
During 1952, one of the domiciliary midwives retired and another
retired at the beginning of 1953. A third midwife has submitted her
resignation and will have left the County Council's service by the end
of February, 1953, so that the number of midwives employed has fallen
from 15 to 12 in less than a year. It has not been considered necessary
to replace them as the decline in the number of home confinements, to
which reference was made in my annual report for 1951, has continued.
Supervision of Midwives
Inspections of registers of births, equipment and drug books are
carried out at six-monthly intervals. Once yearly a visit is made to the
midwife's home by the senior assistant medical officer and routine
inspection carried out. Supervision of practical work at six-monthly
intervals, also attendance of non-medical supervisor at any confinement
where the midwife becomes anxious or is out over a period of many
hours. A weekly meeting of domiciliary midwives is held for the purpose
of general discussion of cases, problems connected with the work and
matters of interest connected with midwifery. In addition, the nonmedical
supervisor is in touch with each midwife daily, either personally
or by telephone.
Co-operation with General Practitioners
New general practitioners are visited by the midwife working in his
area, or by the non-medical supervisor, and his wishes regarding care
of ante-natal patients ascertained. The degree of care of practitioners'
cases by the midwife is based on the individual requirements of each
doctor.
In Hornsey most of the practitioners' cases attend the local authority
clinics. This is also done in Tottenham but to a lesser degree.
Relations between doctors and midwives in this area are extremely
cordial.
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