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The Obstetric Specialist dictates his letters of information to
the doctors or midwives concerned with the patients who attend
unaccompanied, at the end of the Clinic, so that the information
is in the hands of the person who is to attend the confinement, at
the earliest possible date.
It is suggested that the Centre might be at the disposal of
the medical men of the district, in order to examine their patients
ante-natally. I think it would be found that very, very, few
medical practitioners would be likely to avail themselves of this
offer, in fact I should be very surprised if a single practitioner
responded to the invitation. That the offer should be made in order
to see what the response would be, I think would be wise, on the
understanding that these cases are not seen by the general practitioner
on the day on which the Consultant attends.
The Committee have appointed a Consulting Obstetrician to
deal with emergencies which may arise at the confinement or after,
and in oases of Puerperal Fever; Dr. Bell still retaining this portion
of the work.
With regard to the midwives, there seems to be an adequate supply
except in the Isleworth area, which has apparently for some time
been short handed. The Memorandum suggests the possibility
of Municipal midwives. My own feeling is most emphatically
against the use of Municipal midwives, and the reason is that if
a certain number of Municipal midwives are appointed, it is impossible
to avoid arousing the hostility of all the other practising
midwives against the Clinics, both Ante-Natal and Infant Welfare,
because the practising midwives feel that any patient going to
the Municipal Clinic gets in touch with the Municipal midwife and
that she is sure to lose a proportion of her patients as the result
of their attendance. Experience has shown in the past that this
is so. Therefore if the supply of Midwives is short in any particular
area, I am convinced that, speaking in the interests of the
patients of the district, it is wiser for the Local Authority to