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93
Salvation Army Midwifery Service.—One Salvation Army midwife,
with a further midwife assisting her as required, served in Ilford during
the year, 56 cases were attended by them and a doctor was called in to
26 of these.
Of the infants born there were no stillbirths.
One death occurred of an infant where the birth had been attended
by a Salvation Army midwife, the age of the infant being one day.
Gas and Air Analgesia.—During 1961 gas and air analgesia was
administered in 569 cases (538 attended by the domiciliary midwives and
31 by the Salvation Army midwives).
All the domiciliary midwives employed at the end of the year were
qualified to administer gas and air analgesia and the Salvation Army midwives
were also qualified.
Arrangements continued in operation for each of the midwives using
cars in the course of their duties to hold a machine at their respective
homes to take with them to their own cases and there are also machines
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, or failing this, by an ambulance vehicle.
The Salvation Army midwives also have two machines which are
kept at their Branch Home and taken or sent to the home of the patientwhen
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.
ANTE-NATAL CLINICS. — The following is a summary of the
attendance at the ante-natal clinics during 1961 for patients booked for
confinement in hospital:-