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22
or her husband, the amount of the fee paid or such proportion of
it as the financial circumstances of the family justify. The amount
of fees reclaimed during 1931 was £38 1s. 0d.
Compensation to Midwife.—During the year it was found
necessary to suspend one midwife from practice to prevent the
spread of infection. In accordance with Section 2 (1) of the
Midwives and Maternity Homes Act, 1926, compensation for loss
of practice was paid to her amounting to £3 10s. 0d.
Post-Certificate Instruction of Midwives.—At the invitation
of the London County Council arrangements were made with
them for midwives resident in the Borough to attend courses of
post-certificate lectures and demonstrations on general midwifery
held under the joint auspices of the London and Middlesex County
Councils. Later in the year arrangements were also made for
midwives to attend courses of practical ante-natal and post-natal
demonstrations conducted at various hospitals in London.
On the whole, midwives do not realise sufficiently the importance
of ante-natal work. Their appreciation of the importance of
dental treatment during pregnancy, is perhaps increasing, but
routine ante-natal supervision is not carried out by more than a
quarter of the midwives engaged in private practice, in spite of
the fact that attention is being constantly directed to the need
for ante-natal care. Their omission in this respect is in large
measure due to lack of special training but one would have expected
them, if this were the only reason, to take advantage of the lectures
and demonstrations which have been arranged for their benefit.
Midwives must recognise that it is just as important that the
mother should receive skilled attention before as during the confinement.
In fact it is in this period that much can be done to
prevent mortality and disability occurring as a result of labour.
The quality of a midwife's work will in the future be judged to a
large extent by the occasions on which she sends for medical help
during the ante-natal period.