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During the year the Council have given careful consideration
to Circular 1622 of the Ministry of Health on the subject
of Maternal Mortality. As the result of this, they decided to
provide the services of an Obstetric Consultant who would be
available to assist medical practitioners, undertaking domiciliary
midwifery, in any case of doubt or difficulty arising
during the ante-natal period, at the time of confinement, or
during the puerperium. The Council, for a number of years,
have had a scheme for the hospital treatment of complicated
obstetric cases in the Maternity Department of the Nelson
Hospital, which is under the charge of Leslie Williams, Esq.,
F.R.C.S., F.C.O.G. It was felt that the maternity services
would be best co-ordinated if Mr. Williams acted as Obstetric
Consultant for the Borough and arrangements were made
accordingly. The fee for the Consultant's attendance at the
patient's home is paid by the Council and relatives are required
to contribute in accordance with their financial circumstances.
A circular letter was addressed to the local medical practitioners
in November, 1937, giving full details of the scheme
and information of the procedure to be adopted in order to
obtain the services of the Consultant.
Doctors desiring to get into touch with Mr. Williams between
the hours of 9.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. should ring up
his Secretary (Telephone No.: Welbeck 6174). Between
6 p.m. and 9 a.m. application should be made at Mr. Williams'
private residence (Telephone No.: Western 6174).
These facilities had only been utilised in one case by the
end of the year.
Negotiations were also commenced between the Council
and representatives of the Nelson Hospital for the provision
of a suitable emergency unit. This will enable the services
of one of the Honorary Obstetric Assistants at the hospital,
together with a nurse and the necessary emergency equipment,
to be available at short notice for the treatment in their own
homes of patients whose condition is too grave to allow of their
removal to hospital. It is hoped that satisfactory arrangements
will be completed early in 1938.
A scheme for the provision of Home Helps was approved
by the Council in December, 1937. Considerable difficulty has
been experienced in obtaining suitable women to take up these
duties, but it is hoped that this will be overcome in the succeeding
months. The payment to be made to Home Helps has
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