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In April, 1930, the Central Midwives Board suggested that lectures to pupil
mid wives on the Rules of the Central Midwives Board and on the relationship of the
midwife to the various health authorities should be given by the medical officer of
health of the local supervising authority.
The Board approved the arrangements made by the Council for providing, at
suitable intervals, a course of two lectures by two of the Council's medical officers
particularly associated with the supervision of midwives. This course of lectures is
provided four times a year for the instruction of pupils before each examination
of the Central Midwives Board for candidates for admission to the Midwives Roll.
Pupil midwives in training at the Council's hospitals and other institutions in London
are admitted to the courses, which are held at the County Hall. A certificate of
the attendance of a pupil at the course is signed by the Council's medical officer and
furnished to the Central Midwives Board. Pupils attending during the year numbered
751, compared with 811 in 1935.
Maternal
mortality.
The arrangement made at the suggestion of the Ministry of Health, whereby
confidential reports are made on maternal deaths by medical officers of the Council
and are exchanged with the metropolitan borough medical officers of health as
described in the annual report for 1929, was continued during the year.
Payment of
medical fees.
The Midwives Act, 1918, imposed upon the Council the duty of paying
fees to medical practitioners called in by midwives in cases of emergency and the
Minister of Health has laid down a scale of fees to which local authorities must
adhere. The patient is required to reimburse the Council according to her means,
but, in cases of inflammation of the eyes, as already mentioned, the Council has
decided to forego any claim to a fee.
The Minister of Health in Circular 1582 (2.11.36) referred to Circular 1488
(17.6.35) following a judgment in the Court of Appeal, the effect of which was that
paragraph 8 of the scale of fees set out in Circular 358 (20.12.22) was ultra vires.
In pursuance of sub-section (1) of section 9 of the Midwives Act, 1936, the
Minister made the Medical Practitioners (Fees) Regulations, 1936, dated 26th Oct.,
1936, fixing the scale of fees to be paid by local supervising authorities to medical
practitioners called in by midwives under section 14 of the Midwives Act, 1918, and
prescribing the conditions subject to which the fees are to be payable.
The effect of the new regulations is to maintain the fees, as before, and to
restore the conditions which were operative prior to the judgment in the Court of
Appeal declaring the conditions to be ultra vires.
Claims for fees accepted during the year numbered 2,854, compared with 2,905
in 1935, the total amount involved being £3,386, compared with £3,487 in
1935. The Midwives Act, 1926, fixed a limit of time, namely, two months from
the date of the first visit, within which a medical practitioner must submit his
claim. In pursuance of this provision, 25 claims amounting to £41 10s. 6d. were
refused during 1936.
Registration
of nursing
homes.
The Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1927, came into operation on 1st July,
1928, and repealed Part II of the Midwives and Maternity Homes Act, 1926, and also
so much of any local acts as provided for the registration of maternity homes. The
Annual Report for 1928 (Vol. III, pp. 53-54) indicates fully the powers of the Council
under the Act.
The Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1927, has been repealed, so far as London
is concerned, by the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, which came into operation
on 1st October, 1936, and provisions with regard to the registration of nursing homes
are now contained in Part XI of that Act.
The number of nursing homes on the register on 1st January, 1936, was 207.
During the year 1936, 8 homes were added, of which 5 had applied during 1935,
while 29 were removed on cancellation of the registration, leaving 186 on the register
on 31st December, 1936. In 25 cases cancellations were made at the request of the