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Number of Beds provided at 31.12.65 335
Number of Beds provided at 31.12.66 317
Unmarried Mothers' Homes at 31.12.66 1
(Registered under Nursing Homes Act)
Number of Beds 14
Number of Cots 7
CERVICAL CYTOLOGY
Many of the clinics within the Borough are equipped for the
collection of Cervical Smears. This service which was introduced
in the latter part of 1965 reached a peak in demand during the early
months of 1966 and for some time nine regular weekly clinics were
required to meet the demand.
Of the 6,212 women who attended the council's clinics, 17
were found to have an invasive carcinoma in situ and in a further
6 women a gynaecological opinion was considered necessary.
The demand for the service towards the end of the year
declined rapidly and it was only necessary to maintain two regular
weekly clinics.
MIDWIFERY
Miss G. Simmons, s.r.n., s.c.m.
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.
There are at present 24 full-time and one part-time midwives
employed in the Borough, ten of whom are approved teaching
midwives. At present there are vacancies for six full-time midwives,
i.e. 20% of the staff establishment is unfilled and individual case
loads have become proportionately heavier. The availability of
suitable living accommodation to offer prospective employees
would, it is felt, do much to improve the situation.
During the year the municipal midwives attended 1,093 domiciliary
confinements and attended 862 mothers discharged from
hospitals within 48 hours of delivery. Training for childbirth and
parentcraft classes has been established at two centres and the
attendances there have been very good.
The present shortage of midwives precludes their attachment
to general medical practitioner practices as has been done with
health visitors, but in some areas midwives are assisting at antenatal
clinics held by local doctors.
Training of Pupil Midwives
Ten members of the staff are approved teaching midwives and
they undertook the training of 34 pupil midwives from Beckenham