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The Midwives Act, 1936. Municipal Midwifery.
The Midwives Act, 1936, placed the responsibility upon
the local authority "to secure that the number of certified midwives
so employed who are available in its area for attendance on
women in their own homes as midwives or as maternity nurses
during childbirth and from time to time thereafter during a period
of not less than the lying-in period, is adequate for the need of
the area."
For many years domiciliary midwifery in West Ham had
been undertaken chiefly by midwives working under the ægis of
various voluntary organisations in the borough, viz:—
(a) Plaistow Maternity Hospital.
(b)) Queen Mary's Hospital.
(c) Silvertown and North Woolwich District Nursing
Association.
(d) Mothers' Hospital, Clapton—Branch Home.
(e) Essex County Nursing Association, Leytonstone.
In addition a varying number of private midwives practised in the
borough, of whom three only were resident in West Ham.
The Midwives' Act, 1936, did not come into force in West
Ham until the 1st April, 1938. All the above-named associations
except those referred to under (e) are in the borough and have
been utilised in the arrangements for the provision of domiciliary
midwives under the Midwives' Act, 1936. Pupil midwives are
trained in district midwifery by these hospitals and associations,
so that their methods and practice are up-to-date and efficient, and
the results eminently satisfactory.
The number of midwives employed by these associations in
pursuance of their agreements with the Council under the Act
are:—
Plaistow Maternity Hospital 15
Queen Mary's Hospital 2
Mothers' Hospital (Salvation Army) 2
North Woolwich and Silvertown district Nursing
Association 1
It is anticipated that each of these midwives will be capable
of undertaking 100 cases per year.
In addition the Council have appointed, as full-time officers,
four municipal midwives, whose districts have been so arranged
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