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to recover them from the patient, her husband, or other person liable to maintain
her, unless it can be shown that such person is unable to pay the fees. This Act also
empowered the Council to pay, if it though fit, to any midwife suspended by it from
practice to prevent the spread of infection, such reasonable compensation for loss
of practice as in the circumstances might seem just. It also gave power to the
Council to aid the training of midwives and to make grants for the purpose.
The Act of 1926 amended the provisions of the Act of 1902 with regard to the
practice of midwifery by uncertified persons, either male or female. It also repealed
the discretionary powers conferred upon local supervising authorities in respect of
compensation for loss of practice to any midwife suspended from practice to prevent
the spread of infection, and entitled her to recover such amount as is reasonable
in the circumstances of the case unless she herself had been in default. The Act
conferred upon local supervising authorities power, subject to the sanction of the
Minister of Health, to make arrangements with pregnant women in their respective
areas for the payment of agreed sums, in instalments or otherwise, to cover liability
in respect of the fees of medical practitioners called in under the provisions of section
14 of the Act of 1918.
Notifications by midwives of intention to practise during the year 1929 numbered
816; of intention to practise for specific periods less than a year, 6 ; and of having
acted in specific cases, 6.
During the year 1929, two prima facie cases against one midwife were reported
to the Central Midwives Board ; in the first case the Board found the charge proved,
but postponed sentence with a view to further consideration on receipt of reports
from the Council as to the conduct and methods of practice of the midwife at the
end of three, six, nine and twelve months ; in the second case the Board found
certain of the charges proved and censured the midwife severely, but decided to take
no further action pending the receipt of the reports just mentioned. The Council
found that prima facie cases had also been established against two other midwives,
one of whom the Board found not guilty of the charges; in the other case, the charges
were admitted by the midwife, but the Board decided to take no action pending
the receipt from the Council of reports as to her conduct, etc., at the end of three,
six and nine months.
Owing to the difficulty of assessing the sums to be recovered from patients,
their husbands or other persons liable to maintain them in respect of the fees of
medical practitioners called in by midwives to the patients, the Council, in 1921,
adopted a scale of assessments graduated according to net income, after allowing
a deduction in respect of each maintainable child or other dependant. From 1st
April, 1929, to 31st March, 1930, the Council's expenditure under section 14 of the
Act of 1918 was approximately £4,375, the sums recoverable during the same period
amounting to £1,152 approximately. During the year 1929 the Council suspended
17 midwives (one on two occasions) from practice for shoi;t periods to prevent the
spread of infection, and awarded compensation amounting to £43 16s. 7d.
An arrangement made with Middlesex County Council in 1928 was continued
in 1929, whereby midwives practising in Middlesex were enabled to attend courses
of lectures and practical demonstrations in ante-natal, post-natal and general
midwifery, which were held during the autumn and winter sessions, on the same
terms as those practising in London, any deficit on the course being shared by the
two authorities on the basis of user.
Under section 5 of the Act of 1902, as amended by section 2 of the Act of 1918,
any adverse balance in the accounts of the Central Midwives Board is apportioned
between the councils of the several counties and county boroughs in proportion to
population at the last census, and the Council's proportion for the year 1929 was
£541 9s. lid.
In pursuance of instructions of the Council for the preparation of a report as
as to the sanitary condition, number, distribution and adequacy of the public
17710 L 2
Public conveniences.