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Mayday Hospital is the Croydon Public Health general hospital
and the Lying-in ward has 22 beds. In addition, two wards
consisting of 3b beds are utilised for ante-natal, post-natal and
gynecological cases. The hospital is recognised by the General
Nursing Council as a training school and by the Central Midwives
Board. About 12 pupil midwives are trained each year. The
clinical work in these, beds is directed by the Obstetric Officer.
Normal maternity cases are now discharged on the fourteenth day.
St. Mary's Maternity Hospital is a 32 bedded hospital in
which 30 beds are retained by the Borough Council. All the cases
booked there are now supervised in the Council's ante-natal clinics.
The hospital is autonomous and fully equipped with two labour
theatres, nurseries, sterilization plant, isolation flat and laundry.
It is recognised by the Central Midwives' Board and takes about
12 pupil midwives each year. The in-patients are in the care of
the obstetric officer except for abnormalities of labour. These are
treated by a rota of six medical officers who are practitioners in
the town. The obstetric officer submits cases, in whom abnormal
labour is anticipated, to the medical officer on the rota for the
week and the hospital midwives call upon the rota medical officer
when aid is required during labour. Normal cases are discharged
on the 14th day.
There is no external midwifery service conducted by the
Council. Information regarding the confinements that take place
in the patients' own homes following supervision in the Council's
ante-natal clinics is supplied by doctors and midwives in a space
provided on the patients' attendance cards.
All the patients attending the ante-natal clinics are instructed
to attend the post-natal clinic six weeks after delivery. The postnatal
clinic holds two sessions a week and is conducted by the
Obstetric Officer. Abnormal cases are treated as out-patients at
these clinics or as in-patients in the Mayday Hospital. All mothers
with babies are passed on to the Infant Welfare Centres if they
desire this assistance.
The whole of the Council's obstetric service is thus in the
clinical control of the Obstetric Officer, except the actual confinements
and their complications in St. Mary's Maternity Hospital.
His duties comprise a daily ward round of the obstetric and gynæcological
wards at Mayday Hospital, a daily ward round at St.
Mary's Maternity Hospital, the supervision of the ante-natal clinics