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period of six months for each. Three months will be
spent in the Home and three months on the district.
The Medical Officer of Health and the Matron have been
approved by the Board as teachers for the second part
of the certificate. The district training will be carried
out by the local organiser of midwives, under the Kent
County Council, who has been made an approved
teacher. Two pupils will reside with the district
organiser for a period of three months each, and will do
district work under supervision. The pupil midwives
will be given the opportunity of practice and attending,
and nursing, not less than ten lying-in women in their
own homes. Whilst on the district the pupils will
attend the Ante-natal Clinics and the Child Welfare
Clinics belonging to the Corporation. The Home has
been affiliated with the Leeds Maternity Hospital and
the Kingston County Hospital, from which institutions
pupils who have passed the examination after the first
period of training will be received.
A scheme for a 96-hour fortnight for the staff was
approved during the year, to come into operation on
July 1st, 1939, when the first pupils arrive, and this
necessitated the approval of an additional appointment
of a staff nurse. The difficulty of obtaining staff is still
acute and, until the new training rules of the Board
have been developed and some solution to prevent the
whole shortage of nurses throughout the country is
found, there appears to be no hope of any other position.
Under the New Rules of the Central Midwives'
Board it is now necessary for a midwife to have taken
a two weeks' course in instruction at a recognised
institution in the administration of gas and air analgesia
before being allowed to administer any type of analgesia.
It was therefore agreed that Matron and the two Sisters
be sent to the City of London Maternity Hospital for
this course. They attended and duly obtained the
necessary certificate.
Statistics.
No. of patients in Home 1st January, 1938 22
No. of patients admitted during 1938 477
No. of patients discharged during 1938 479
No. of patients died during 1938 Nil
No. remaining 31st December, 1938 20
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