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Summoning
of medical
aid
The following statement shows the number of claims received from doctors in
respect of medical aid provided by them under the Midwives Act and the total amount of
fees paid each year by the Council. The introduction in 1948 of the maternity medical
services has had a bearing on the number of claims received which have shown an
expected decline. A few cases have occurred where, as a result of checks made of claims
submitted to the Council against payments made by the London Executive Council,
duplicate payments have been disclosed, and action has been taken to recover any
fees wrongfully claimed. The effect of the introduction under the National Health
Service Act, 1946, of the general medical services and the maternity medical services
has been to restrict the period under which attention is given to the period of 14 days
after the confinement, as medical attention after this period is now provided by the
family doctor as part of the general medical services. The only exception to this is when
a doctor—not being the family doctor or the booked doctor—is called in by the midwife
for an emergency between the 15th and 28th day after confinement.

Pupil
midwives
Training of midwives
The Council provides facilities for the district training of Part II midwifery pupils
through its domiciliary midwifery service. Midwives employed by the Council are
approved by the Central Midwives Board as district teachers for pupil midwives. In
spite of the progressive decline since 1947 in the number of domiciliary confinements
attended by the Council's midwives, there has been a great expansion of the arrangements
for providing pupil midwives with their district training. At the end of 1948,
45 out of 155 midwives were approved as district teachers whereas, at the end of 1952,
71 out of 98 midwives were approved. The number of pupils for which the Council
undertakes to provide district training has also risen from approximately 20 each quarter
to 65 and during 1952, a total of 191 was received. The majority of these pupils reside
with the midwife during their district training, but a few remain resident at their Part II
training school, and come out to cases on notification by the teacher. Allowances for
board and lodging and tuition fees while the pupils are on district are paid direct by the
hospitals employing the pupil midwives to the L.C.C. teachers or the associations
concerned.
In addition to the training arranged by the Council through its midwives there are
eight hospitals and two district nursing associations in London approved as complete Part II
training schools. At the two associations pupils spend the whole of the six months Part II
training on district. A few pupils take their district training outside the London area
but, on the other hand, some 14 pupils from Part II training schools outside London are
accepted for district training by associations in London.