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MIDWIFERY SERVICE
(Section 23)
The problem of recruiting new midwives continues to be a
main anxiety in the Service. We have been fortunate in appointing
four new midwives during the year, one of whom is now accommodated
in a municipal flat rented by the County Council, specifically for a
midwife, from the Tottenham Borough Council. It was a disadvantage
to recruitment that this flat was not available for a part of the year
as the resigning midwife (with two young children) had several delays
and setbacks in finding other accommodation.
Every year there are some changed in the staff to which
attention is drawn in the report, but a special tribute should be paid
to the midwives who have been with us for many years and who
continue to give loyal and devoted service. They form the backbone
of the service and have a very high standard of skill and dependability.
They seem to be at their best during periods of special pressure
through which every midwifery service passes, working tirelessly and
cheerfully until the stress is over.
All the midwives now take part in ante-natal sessions at the
centres whenever their duties allow. In future it is hoped to
arrange for a midwife to be present at general practitioners' antenatal
sessions, but it is envisaged that this will only be possible
where there will be a sufficient number of patients to make this a
justifiable use of the midwife's time.
Co-operation between midwives and general practitioners continues
to be excellent. Especially the long service midwives have come to
know the doctors in their district very well and can work truly as a
team.
The minimum number of days after delivery on which the
midwife must visit the patient has been reduced from fourteen days
to ten days, by the Central Midwives Board. This is generally
considered quite a safe alteration to the usual practice and has
relieved the midwife from some unnecessary duties. However,
there is still much pressure of work on the midwife. Each one of
our staff has done more deliveries than the number recommended.