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62
It was further agreed that midwives when engaged for
necessitous cases should notify such cases to the Medical
Officer as soon as possible, so that the necessary enquiries
might be made and the midwife informed as to whether or
not the Council would be responsible for the fee.
The midwives further were of opinion that some system
of Home Helps should be introduced by the Council.
Home Helps would be employed in necessitous cases
where there was no other woman assistant available. The
duties of the Home Help would be:—
(a) To assist the midwife at the confinement and to
clean up.
(b) To live in probably for the first night and
(c) To attend afterwards daily at the home to do the
necessary domestic work.
The midwives were of opinion that whole time Home
Helps should be retained for this work.
Arising out of a question by Nurse Trafford the midwives
were informed:—
(a) That the Clinic of the Council established at 9,
Willesden Lane would receive ante-natal cases sent
by the midwife, who in turn would receive a medical
report of any condition likely to complicate pregnancy
or labour ; and
(b) That a similar procedure should be followed if
practicable in respect of complications arising in
the mother or the child after confinement, the rules
of the Central Midwives Board and Official Regulations
being at the same time carried out.
GEORGE F. BUCHAN,
Medical Officer.