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THE EDGWARE GROUP HEALTH SERVICES LIAISON COMMITTEE
The Medical Liaison Committee was set up in 1956 to improve liaison between the
different sections of the National Health Service, The Committee met three times in
1959 to consider problems of liaison and a summary is given in its report as follows:The
Welfare of Children in Hospital
The Committee considered the report of the Committee of the Central Health
Services Council on this subject, under the guidance of Dr. Baber, Paediatrician at
Edgware General HospitaL. In the course of the discussion it appeared that most of
the recommendations mentioned in the Report were already being carried out at Edgware
General Hospital.
On the question of the admission of mothers to hospital it was considered that
only in exceptional cases would mothers of small children have to be admitted to
hospital, but that arrangements had been made in Edgware General Hospital for the
admission of mothers of breast fed infants.
Report of the Maternity Services Committee (The Cranbrook Report)
Under the guidance of Mr. Rosser Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist of
Edgware General Hospital the Committee considered the conclusions and recommendations
of the Cranbrook Report, and with the undermentioned exceptions agreed with the
report.
328. The local health authority is the appropriate authority to determine whether
social reasons made a home confinement undesirable and they should always be consulted
by hospital authorities before a decision is made tO book a patient solely on social
grounds."
The Committee is of the opinion that the words in consultation with
the general practitioner" should be added after the words is the appropriate
authority''.
329. Sufficient hospital maternity beds to provide for a national average of 70
per cent of ail confinements to take place in hospital should be adequate to meet
the needs of all women in whose case the balance of advantage appears to favour
confinement in hospital."
The Committee considered that the extra beds to be provided should be
general practitioner maternity beds.
331. Experience in this country justifies adherence to a period of ten days as
the normal (not average) length of stay in hospital after delivery."
The Committee considered that in certain circumstances there is scope
for a much shorter stay in hospital,
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