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One midwife in private practice undertook 11 cases as
maternity nurse.
Trilene, and Gas and Air analgesia.—A total of 278 patients
on the District received trilene or gas and air analgesia, representing
a percentage of 85.0 of district confinements.
Emergency Unit.—This Unit, stationed at Thorpe Coombe
Maternity Hospital, was called out to one Walthamstow case during
1956.
Maternity Outfits.—Outfits are issued for all home
ments.
Training of Pupil Midwives.—Thorpe Coombe Maternity
Hospital is a training school for both Parts I and II, the latter in
association with home confinements on the "district." Twentyfour
pupil midwives passed the examination of the Central Midwives'
Board (Part II) during the year.
The advantages of assisting in the district training of pupil
midwives from Thorpe Coombe is that during this training they
work with the home nurses at the District Nurses' Home and after
completing their midwifery training may choose to take up temporary
home nursing and some proceed to train as Queen's nurses
and to remain on the staff at the District Nurses' Home as Queen's
nurses.
CO-OPERATION WITH GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
Arrangements were continued to notify all general practitioners,
irrespective of whether or not they were on the obstetric
list, when any person known to be on their list had made a booking
with a midwife for a confinement at home.
The results of all examinations were communicated either then
or later, i.e., blood grouping, hemoglobin, Rhesus and Kahn, the
purpose being to advise the general practitioner in preparation for
any possible call for medical aid from the midwife.
In addition, the expectant mother was given a card recording
the blood group and the Rhesus result.
The following additional arrangements existed for the close
integration of the Local Authority Health Services with the work
of the general practitioner.
Midwives attend joint ante-natal sessions with general practitioners,
and expectant mothers can be referred to the Local
Authority ante-natal clinics for the taking of blood specimens only,
or for instruction in relaxation and health education. The health
visitors in several cases attend joint baby welfare sessions held by