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93
During 1964, the domiciliary midwives continued to assist in the
training of pupil midwives from the Thorpe Coombe Maternity Hospital,
Walthamstow; and Barking Hospital, Barking; nine of the whole-time midwives
have been approved by the Central Midwives Board as teaching
district midwives. The arrangements are for six or more pupils at a time
to come to Ilford for a period of three months, accommodation being provided
in one of the local hospitals or in a private house, 34 pupil
midwives completed their district training in the Area during 1964 and 10
were still undertaking this training at the 31st December.
Co-operation with General Practitioners.— During the year it was
found possible to accede to the request of two local General Practitioners
for the part-time services of a domiciliary midwife with their practice for
ante-natal work.
One midwife plus a pupil midwife attend a doctor's surgery fortnightly
and the other doctor has the services of a midwife at one session
per week.
Salvation Army Midwifery Service.— One Salvation Army midwife,
with a further midwife assisting her as required, served in Ilford during
the year; 49 cases were attended by them and a doctor was specially
called in to 19 of these.
Of the infants born there was 1 stillbirth.
There were two deaths of infants where the birth had been attended
by a Salvation Army midwife. In one of these the infant was under the age
of 7 days.
Gas and Air Analgesia.— During 1964 gas and air analgesia was
administered in 590 cases (554 attended by the domiciliary midwives and
36 by the Salvition 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.