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27
MIDWIFERY
(Mrs.) B. Adcock, s.r.n., s.c.m., h.v.cert.
Non-Medical Supervisor of Midwives.
Under Section 23 of the National Health Service Act, 1946,
it is the duty of every Local Health Authority to provide a domiciliary
midwifery service..
The Midwifery establishment is 30 and the number of staff at
the end of December was 27 full-time and 1 part-time. During the
year there were 3 resignations and 2 appointments.
Early Discharges
During the past year there has been a steady increase in the
number of 48 hours discharges. 912 patients were so discharged,
and necessitated some 7,296 visits. Each home was visited to assess
the amount of help required and to assist where necessary in
making arrangements for home care.
Training of Pupil Midwives
10 members of the staff are approved teaching midwives and
they undertook the training of 28 pupil midwives from the Beckenham
Maternity, and Farnborough Hospitals during the year. Pupils
are accommodated in private lodgings while undergoing district
training and suitable accommodation has often been difficult to find.
Instruction for Mothers
Classes for mothercraft and psychoprophylactic training for
childbirth were run in most areas. These are proving to be
progressively popular, particularly the film "Birthday" to which the
mothers who have attended the classes bring their husbands.
Refresher Courses
Nine midwives attended approved residential post-graduate
courses to comply with statutory requirements. These were arranged
by the Royal College of Midwives. Kent County Council invited
the Bromley Borough midwives to their annual refresher course at
Bearstead and most of them attended at some time during the week.

Total number of Home Visits made by midwives—40,901