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our local maternity units will have to cope with the situation as
best they can. One of the ways of meeting this situation is the
early discharge from hospital of selected mothers and babies. In
some districts mothers and babies are discharged to their own
homes within 48 hours of delivery but it is more usual to retain
mother and child for 7 days in early discharge schemes. The
advantages of such schemes are that it can be done without danger
to mother or baby, and is economical. The average hospital
maternity bed is used by two patients only per month. If the
average stay in hospital were reduced to 7 days the situation
could be greatly relieved, and has the advantage of not requiring
the numbers of additional midwifery staff, already in very short
supply, that additional hospitals would require. On the other
hand rapid turn over of patients might hamper good patient-nurse
relationship and impose strain on staff as well as on patients.
Good co-operation between hospitals, general medical practitioners
and local health authorities is essential to overcome
obstacles to such schemes intended to provide safeguards for the
expectant mother who falls within the priority groups for a hospital
confinement. Too many high risk cases are being confined at
home, for various reasons, and District Midwives are often required
to undertake delivery in cases that should have been admitted to a
hospital bed. Specialised help is not always immediately available
when an emergency arises in a patient's home as in hospital despite
the fact that there is a good "flying squad" service at Oldchurch
Hospital for emergency domiciliary visits.
General Practitioner Obstetricians. 52 General Medical
Practitioners are included in the list of the Executive Council for
the County of Essex as practising in the Borough of Romford.
The names of 41 of these Doctors are included on the Obstetric
List.

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