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40
Financial Provisions.
Section 4 deals with the Exchequer grants towards the institution of
the new service and provides for increased contributions out of monies
provided by Parliament. In effect and simply stated it means that an
amount approximating 40 per cent Will be contributed towards any additional
expenditure involved in providing for the employment of domiciliary
midwives.
Compensation to Midwives ceasing or required to cease practice.
A midwife, by virtue of Section 5, may, before the expiration of 3 years
from the commencement of the Act, surrender her certificate to the local
authority, when she becomes entitled to compensation. This compensation
is a sum equal to three times the average net annual emoluments derived
from her practice as a midwife or maternity nurse during the preceding three
years or the period she has practised as a midwife or maternity nurse, whichever
period is the shorter.
On the other hand an authority may direct within the same period of
three years a midwife, who is incapable, by reason of age or infirmity of
mind or body, of efficiently performing her duties as a midwife, to surrender
her certificate, in which case she becomes entitled to compensation based
on five times her ret annual emoluments as provided in the case of voluntary
surrender of certificate. One half of the amount paid in compensation
by the local authority will be repaid out of Exchequer funds.
A person who has voluntarily or compulsorily surrendered her certificate
is forbidden to attend as a nurse on a woman in childbirth.
It is not known how many midwives Will retire voluntarily from practice
and there is, apparently, only one that the Council may have to call upon to
cease practice on account of age or infirmity. This midwife can be dealt
with at a later date on when the appointments of whole-time midwives are
made.
Prohibition of Unqualified Persons acting as Maternity Nurses for gain.
Section 6 extends the prohibition of unqualified practice in the previous
Midwives Acts whilst expressly exempting medical students, pupil midwives
and nurses attending cases in a nursing home from the restrictions. It also
exempts women who have received approved certificates of training in
obstetric nursing. The ultimate result of this Section will be the elimination
of the handy-woman whose place will be taken by the certified and, it is
to be expected, whole-time midwife.
Attendance of Midwives at Courses of Instruction.
Section 7 gives power to the Central Midwives Board to frame rules
requiring midwives to attend a prescribed course of instruction and makes
it compulsory for local authorities to provide or arrange for such courses
of instruction for midwives practising in their area.
General Administration of the New Service.
The supervision of the work of the midwives employed by the Council
will be two-fold, (a) in virtue of the Council being the local supervising
authority under the Midwives Act and responsible for the supervision of all
midwives and (b) by reason of the midwives being officers of the Council