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Portable Incubators
During the year the portable incubators held at main ambulance depots were
used on twenty-five occasions to transport premature or sick babies to hospital.
Hospital " Flying Squad" Service
There are two "Flying Squads" serving the borough, one based at North
Middlesex Hospital and the other at Chase Farm Hospital.
The squads, each of which is in the charge of an obstetrician, provide a 24-hour
emergency service for women in labour. During 1968 the squads answered sixteen
emergency calls. All the mothers and babies survived.
Analgesia
The domiciliary midwives all use trichloroethylene inhalers which are regularly
tested in accordance with the rules of the Central Midwives' Board.
Notification of Intention to Practise
Thirty-three domiciliary midwives employed by the borough council, 131
institutional midwives employed at hospitals and one privately employed domiciliary
midwife, notified their intention to practise as midwives within the borough during
1968.
Disposal of Placentae and Offensive Dressings
Disposal points are conveniently situated throughout the borough for use by
authorised persons. Means have been provided in recently built tall blocks of
council flats for disposal of offensive dressings, etc., by incineration.
Training of Staff of Other Agencies
Student nurses from two local hospitals continued to spend time accompanying
midwives on visits to patients and at ante-natal clinics as part of their training
and these visits were arranged once a month during 1968.
In addition, lectures on the domiciliary midwifery service continued to be given
periodically to student nurses at North Middlesex Hospital by the Supervisor of
Midwives.
(See Statistical Tables 13 and 14)
HEALTH VISITING
Under Section 24 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, it is the duty of
every local health authority to make provision in their area for the visiting of
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