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36
MIDWIFERY SERVICE
The Corporation employs directly a Superintendent and 19???
Domiciliary Midwives. Ten Midwives are recognised by the Central
Midwives Board to train pupils for the second three months of
their Part II C. M. B. training. The Domiciliary Midwives have
their headquarters in the clinic premises, which house the antenatal
and post-natal clinics. Consequently, they are in constant
touch with the Hospital Consultants and other medical staff and
with the Hospital Midwives. The personal contact is obviously of
great help in promoting co-ordination of maternity services,
The Corporation has pursued a policy of encouraging Midwives
to have a motor car for their work, recognising all Domiciliary
Midwives as essential users for car allowances. For those not
able to buy their own, they have now agreed to supply departmental
vehicles. The advantages to the mother and to the Midwife of
having all the staff thus available with apparatus at the shortest
possible notice needs no comment.
The usual statistical returns are set out in the Appendices,
pages 109 - 110 and the following points are of interest:-
Although the birth-rate rose, only four more mothers were
delivered in their own homes than in the previous year. Out of
the total of over 1,200 deliveries, there were only two stillbirths
and no neonatal deaths. The Obstetric Emergency Service
was called out on two occasions. These figures do demonstrate
that the policy of careful selection and immediate admission to
hospital of all complicated cases is operating efficiently.
94% of mothers had either Trilene of gas/air analgesia and
some 56% were given the pain reducing drug "Pethedine". The
interchange between domiciliary and hospital confinement is also
shown by the figures of mothers booked for domiciliary care and
transferred to hospital and those sent home from hospital
home nursing.
Midwives Acts, 1902-51
The number of Midwives who notified their intention to practise
as midwives or maternity nurses, within the Borough (including
those in hospitals) and who were practising at the end
of the year was 78. All held the certificate of the Central Midwives'
Board. The Medical Supervisor of Midwives visits midwives
in private practice and nursing homes, and the Superintendent
Municipal Midwife carries out these duties for the domiciliary
midwives.