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It was felt, for example, that the uniform should be modernized and brought
up to date. Representatives of the midwives, together with senior health department
staff and the tailor, worked together and designed a new top coat, and a dress and
jacket to match, made in a washable drip-dry material. This uniform, together
with the new Air Hostess styled cap, were exhibited at the Professional Nurses and
Midwives Conference at Seymour Hall, London, in the autumn, and were well
received.
Another example is the provision of transport. All midwives have a car allowance
and where they are unable to purchase a car a Council-owned Mini may be provided.
The grouping of midwives in pairs so that optimum off duty can be arranged
has also proved popular. Night calls are routed through the telephone control at
King Edward Memorial Hospital to ensure that only the midwife on duty is disturbed.
A final example concerns housing. The Council requires its midwives to live in
a particular district and therefore provides housing. This in many instances is in
accommodation of such a standard as to be incidentally an aid to recruitment.
Number of home deliveries 945
Number of 48-hour planned discharge patients (23 from Brentford
and Chiswick area)511
Number of pupil midwives who have completed district training in
the area during the year as part of a Part II midwifery course 65
Number of midwives who attended compulsory refresher courses 4
32