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164
Confinements Attended by Midwives.
Cases attended by midwives alone 2327 i.e., 66% of
Cases attended by midwives when a doctor was also engaged 722 total births.
Cases attended by midwives when a doctor was also
summoned 361
Total 3049 i.e., 86.7% of
total births.
The number of confinements attended by midwives in 1930
was considerably in excess of those in 1929, when the cases attended
by midwives alone only constituted 50% of the total. The number
of cases attended by a doctor and a midwife was nearly doubled.
The Rules of the Central Midwives Board lay down that the
Local Supervising Authority must be informed, within 36 hours,
by a midwife if she has summoned medical help during pregnancy,
in a confinement or within ten days afterwards. The following
table gives details of the reasons for sending for medical aid.
The Council approved a scheme during the year for the payment
of her fees to a midwife who attends a necessitous patient in
her confinement. No attempt is made in such cases to recover from
the patient. The object of this was that even the poorest mother
could engage the services of a competent midwife, whilst the latter
would have no cause to hesitate to attend on the grounds that she
would probably receive no payment for her services. Midwives
are also compensated if they lose a case through its admission to a
hospital or maternity home on the advice of the Ante-natal Clinic.
The sum of £12 12s. was paid out during the year.