View report page

by the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine and the London Hospital. In addition the
Council directly employs a midwife who is also the non-medical supervisor of midwives,.
It is generally accepted that domiciliary midwives should have the same opportunities
for training and the use of similar equipment as hospital midwives. In accordance with
this principle, the midwives in the borough have been given facilities for statutory
refresher courses, and attendance at study days. The newest resuscitation and analgesia
apparatus has also been made available to the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine,
and the London Hospital authorities have similarly equipped their midwives.In conjunction
with wise selection of patients for home delivery, the service can offer facilities
comparable to those at a hospital unit.
A scheme for training midwives commenced this year jointly by the Nursing Sisters
of St. John the Divine and the Mile End Hospital, each pupil spending three months on
the district. Pupils who completed the course during the year numbered 8 with 4
pupils under training at the end of the year. The Council pays to the hospital 40 per
cent of the expenditure involved under the provisions of the Ministry of Health Circular
8/56.
MIDWIVES ACT, 1951
The Council is a local supervising authority under the Midwives Act 1951, supervising
functions being carried out by the Council's non-medical supervisor of midwives. The
number of midwives who notified their intention to practice as midwives within the
borough, including those in hospitals, and who were practising at the end of the year,
was 97. The Council is also responsible under the Act for payment of fees to medical
practitioners summoned for medical aid to 'unbooked' patients. These occasions may
arise as a result of a doctor not being booked in advance by the mother or urgent requests
for immediate help by a midwife from a local practitioner.
MATERNITY LIAISON COMMITTEES
The department is represented on local maternity liaison committees by the medical
officer of health or deputy medical officer of health and the non-medical supervisor of
midwives or the principal nursing officer. Meetings were attended during the year when
common problems were discussed. As the borough is served by two hospital management
committees, there are separate maternity liaison committees for each group catchment
area.
PHENYLKETONURIA
During 1966 babies numbering 3,162 were tested either in clinics or in their homes
at about the fourth week of life. No cases of phenylketonuria were detected.
42.