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Payment for Medical Help to Midwives.
On 25th July, 1917, the Council approved of a report from the Medical
Officer of Health providing for payment being made to medical practitioners
upon a fixed scale when they are called in by midwives to mothers or infants,
and the family are unable to pay the medical fees. It was pointed out that
midwives attend about one third of the births in the borough (excluding
institutions), and it was estimated, judging from the statements of midwives,
that, upon the scale mentioned below, the whole cost of this would be about
£100 per annum of which one half would be repaid by the Local Government
Board. It was felt that in the interests of the patient the midwife should be
free to call in a doctor without any hesitation on the score of payment, and
in order that there might be no doubt whatever in the mind of the doctor
that he would obtain his fee it was arranged that he should be paid upon his
own statement that tne patient in his opinion was unable to pay hu fee. No abuse
of this privilege has occurred, and although enquiries have always been made
in no case has it being considered necessary to call upon the patient to repay
to the Council any part of the fee. It is evident that after paying the fees of
the midwife, the woman to look after the house, and the other expenses
connected with the confinement, a poor family has little left to pay the
doctor, even after the receipt of the 30s. maternity benefit; and the Local
Government Board have made it clear that they prefer that payment to
medi 'al practitioners in such cases should be made by the Sanitary Authorities
rather than through the Poor Law.
The scale of payment decided u: on was as follows:—
One guinea for a normal confinement and two guineas for a confinement
presenting special difficulty or requiring operative interference, including in