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Midwifery Service
The Borough has an establishment of 21 Midwives including a Non-Medical Supervisor and
Deputy. During 1965 there were 1,147 domiciliary confinements; 239 patients were booked for home
delivery but were delivered in hospital for various reasons. Of these, 179 were discharged before the
tenth day and cared for at home, and in addition there were 88 cases of arranged early discharge
of hospital patients.
Midwives had to call for medical aid on 3 occasions and in 3 other cases further assistance was
obtained from the emergency obstetric squad.
Twenty-four pupils were accepted for practical training from the Hillingdon Hospital Midwifery
Training School during the year. In addition, staff of the department co-operated with the hospital
in lectures and demonstrations to student nurses taking the general nursing and other training
courses.
A table has already been given showing the work undertaken at ante natal and post natal clinics.
Health Visiting
This is a mandatory service and the scope of the work is ever widening. The Health Visitor
may advise mothers before and after the birth of their children and during their school life,
especially if there is any handicap, either mental or physical, present. She also has a care for the
aged, and this means that the entire family is her concern.
Student Health Visitors are accepted for the practical training part of the course for the Health
Visitor Certificate at Chiswick Polytechnic, Battersea College of Technology and at the Royal
College of Nursing. New regulations for this certificate came into force during 1965, and to comply
with these, four field work instructors were trained. A scheme for sponsorship of student Health
Visitors at the Chiswick Polytechnic course is operated, and the first two students started their
training in September.
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