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62
consultation is held in the majority of cases in the doctor's surgery,
although in a few cases it takes place in the patient's home.
Salvation Army Midwifery Service.—One Salvation Army Midwife
served in Ilford during the year. 48 cases were attended by her, all as a
midwife.
A Doctor was called in to 10 of the 48 cases in which the midwife had
been engaged.
Of the infants born there were 2 stillbirths.
Notifications were received from the Salvation Army Midwife that it
was proposed to substitute artificial feeding in respect of 1 infant.
Gas and Air Analgesia.—During 1954 gas and air analgesia was
administered in 419 cases, of which 376 were attended by the Domiciliary
Midwifes (344 when acting as midwives and 32 when acting as maternity
nurses) and 43 were attended by the Salvation Army midwife.
All the domiciliary midwives employed at the end of the year were
qualified to administer gas and air analgesia and the one Salvation Army
midwife was also so qualified.
During 1954, four sets of apparatus for the purpose of the administration
of gas and air analgesia were stored at the Ambulance Station,
the machines being transported to the house of the patient by an ambulance
vehicle on the request of the midwife. With a view to effecting an economy
in the use of ambulance vehicles, however, since the 6th May, 1955,
arrangements have been made for the midwives using cars in the course
of their duties each to hold a machine at their respective homes to take
with them to their own cases and only three machines are now stored at
the Ambulance Station for the use of the remaining midwives. With
regard to the latter, the relatives of the patient are requested to collect
a machine, where possible, but when they cannot do this, arrangements
are made for a machine to be transported from the Ambulance Station to
the house by a hired car.
The Salvation Army midwives also have two machines which are kept
at their Branch Home and taken or sent to the home of the patient when
required.
The service is freely available to all having home confinements, provided
there are no medical contra-indications, and each expectant mother
on booking the midwife is supplied with a leaflet explaining the nature
and the availability of the service.