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29
associations, and the hospitals are required to provide a free outfit for their patients.
Details of the work done in 1945 appear below.
In addition to its duties under section 1 of the Midwives Act, 1936, the Council
is the local supervising authority under the Midwives Acts. The practices of midwives
are supervised to ensure that the rules of the Central Midwives Board are
observed, and an appropriate standard of midwifery maintained. All cases of
raised temperature and skin affection are investigated and dealt with individually,
appropriate action being taken to prevent the spread of infection. Eye affections in
the new-born are treated regularly until cured or admitted to hospital. Fees, on the
Ministry of Health scale, are paid to medical practitioners summoned by midwives
under the Midwives Act, 1918, and no contribution towards the cost is sought from
the patients. Post-certificate lectures and demonstrations are arranged for midwives.
Certain sections of the Acts prohibit unqualified persons from practising as
midwives or maternity nurses and steps are taken to see that these provisions are
observed.
Compared with 1944 there was an increase in the total number of confinements
undertaken by the Council's domiciliary midwives.
Domiciliary
midwifery
service—
London
County
Council
midwives
The following are the figures for 1938, which was the first year of the Council's
domiciliary midwifery service, and for the years 1944 and 1945:—
Maternity
nursing cases
Midwifery
cases
Total
1938 449 2,924 3,373
1944 406 5,518 5,924
1945 440 6,427 6,867
The number of midwives employed on 31st December, 1945, was 122 compared
with 114 at the end of 1944. The average number of midwives employed throughout
the year (permanent and temporary) was 120, compared with 113 in 1944. The
average annual number of confinements undertaken by each midwife, including sick
and holiday reliefs, was approximately 57. This figure is somewhat lower than that
mentioned in the Report of the Midwives Salaries Committee (66) and is accounted
for by the dislocation caused by enemy action. There was an average, throughout
the year, of about eight midwives absent owing to illness.
The number of district confinements undertaken by the voluntary organisations
included in the Council's domiciliary midwifery service also showed an increase compared
with confinements for 1944. These numbers, together with those for 1938, were
as follows:—
Domiciliary
midwifery
service—
voluntary
organisations
Maternity
nursing cases
Midwifery
cases
Total
Grand
Total
1938
Voluntary hospitals domiciliary service 251 5,484 5,735
District nursing associations 606 1,158 1,764
7,499
1944
Voluntary hospitals domiciliary service 83 2,948 3,031
District nursing associations 329 1,323 1,652
4,683
1945
Voluntary hospitals domiciliary service 53 3,502 3,555
District nursing associations 327 1,584 1,911
5,466
Fees paid under the Midwives Act, 1918, to medical practitioners called in by
midwives in emergency amounted to £6,824 10s., and claims for fees paid were 4,530
in 1945, compared with £5,793 12s. 6d. and 3,875, respectively, for 1944.
Payment of
medical fees
Two courses of five post certificate lectures and six courses of four ante-natal and
post-natal demonstrations were arranged in conjunction with the Middlesex County
Lectures for
midwives