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DISTRIBUTION OF WELFARE FOODS
In June, 1954, the local offices of the Ministry of Food were closed, and the Middlesex County
Council then had the responsibility of distributing welfare foods, national dried milk, cod liver oil, orange
juice and vitamin tablets. The Middlesex County Council took over distribution centres and opened
others; nine centres are now available in Willesden. In addition, Smiths (M.A.) Limited of Cricklewood
continued to distribute welfare foods at the factory for mothers working there, and from the 3rd August,
1954, facilities were provided at four day nurseries for mothers of children attending the nurseries.
The W.V.S. helped to staff the centres; they not only continued to provide the staff at their own
premises, but also undertook to run three other centres.
MIDWIFERY SERVICES
At the beginning of the year, seven midwives were employed in Willesden; five by the County
Council and two maternity nurses by the Willesden District Nursing Association. In June, 1954, the Willesden
District Nursing Association ceased to provide maternity nurses; the County Council appointed another
midwife, making a total of six midwives.
In addition, four or five pupil midwives work in Willesden for three months each as part of their
second period training for the Central Midwives Board Examination. They work under the supervision of
midwives who are approved midwife teachers.
The general practitioner and the midwife supervise the care of the expectant mother. When a
mother chooses both a general practitioner and a midwife for her confinement, the doctor supervises the
care of the expectant mother, and arranges for the taking of a blood specimen and a routine chest X-ray. The
midwife examines the mother at her special clinic (Table 1), visits her at home, and ensures that everything
is prepared for the confinement.
A mother who chooses a midwife only for her confinement attends the local health clinic, where
the assistant medical officer makes the initial medical examination, takes a blood specimen, and arranges for
a chest X-ray. She then attends the midwife's clinic regularly throughout her pregnancy, and is instructed
on the use of the apparatus for gas and air analgesia. The assistant medical officer examines the mother
again at the 36th week of pregnancy and gives a certificate of fitness for gas and air analgesia.
The midwives administered analgesia to 287 mothers (80%), and pethidine was given to 117
mothers (33%) of the 358 confinements. 251 of the 287 mother who had gas and air analgesia during
labour had substantial relief from pain. (Table 2.)
Midwives work very closely with general practitioners. Midwives attended at 358 confinements;
both a general practitioner and a midwife were booked for 195, and both were present at 55. (Table 3.)
When a midwife attends a case on her own and requires help, she must call in a doctor, according
to the rules of the Central Midwives Board. The midwives called in doctors 90 times. (Table 4).
For serious emergencies, the midwife or doctor calls the Central Middlesex Hospital for the
obstetric flying squad, consisting of an ambulance, a doctor, a nurse, two ambulance men, and blood transfusion
apparatus. The flying squad was called out three times during the year, once for ante-partum
haemorrhage and twice for post-partum haemorrhage.
The Hammersmith Hospital premature baby unit provides a special ambulance for transporting
premature babies who require treatment in their unit. The ambulance is accompanied by two qualified
nurses with special training in the care of premature babies, and it carries a special equipment including a
fitted cot and apparatus for administrating oxygen. The ambulance is sent for at the request of the doctor
who has been called for medical aid by the midwife. Five babies were admitted to the unit during the year.