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55
SECTION 4
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
Midwifery and Midwives.—The arrangement foreshadowed in
my Annual Report for 1923. providing for closer co-operation
between the Maternity and Child Welfare staff of the Council
and the District Midwives of the Plaistow Maternity Charity took
effect from 1st January, 1924.
Health visitors and certain midwives have co-operated
during the year, with the result that a substantial and
satisfactory increase has already taken place in the number of
expectant and nursing mothers availing themselves of the antenatal
and welfare centres of the district, while it is to be hoped
that in the near future a similar arrangement will be reached
between the remaining district midwives, an arrangement the
importance of which from an ante-natal aspect cannot be overestimated.
During the year 9 midwives notified their intention of
practising in Barking to the Local Supervisory Authority, which
is the Essex County Council, the Medical Officer of Health for
Barking filling, as formerly, the place of Assistant Supervisor in
accordance with the County scheme.
31 quarterly visits were paid to midwives for the purpose
cf inspecting their outfits and records, while 10 cases were
investigated where the midwife had sought medical assistance
on account of rise of temperature, discharging eyes, etc., as
required by the regulations of the C.M.B. Generally speaking,
the result of these investigations showed that the work of the
midwives was satisfactory.
Although actual delegation of supervisory powers cannot be
effected from county to urban authorities under the Midwives'
Act, 1918, the present arrangement—the best compromise under
existing circumstances—has much to commend it, compared with
any alternative scheme.