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A Joint Committee was formed consisting of three representatives
of the Council's Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee and three representatives of the Nursing Association.
This Committee acts in an advisory capacity and forms
a liaison between the two bodies concerned.
During 1938 the domiciliary midwives attended one
hundred and thirty-seven cases, one hundred and seven as
midwives and thirty as maternity nurses. In addition, fiftyeight
cases had been booked for the early part of 1939.
No claims for compensation were received during the
year from midwives surrendering their certificates voluntarily
under Section 5 of the Act.
In 1937 the Council gave 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 were only utilised in one case during the
year.
Negotiations were completed between the Council and
representatives of the Nelson Hospital for the provision
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