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SECTION 23: DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY
There have been no changes in the general arrangements for the service, except that
the Romford Road District Home maintained by Plaistow Maternity Hospital as part of the
domiciliary midwifery service was closed in March. The midwives and pupils are now accommodated
at Plaistow Maternity Hospital and the ante-natal clinic is held weekly at the Church
Hall, Dyson Road, E.15.
The area is at present served as follows:-
(1) Plaistow Maternity Hospital maintain a Part II Training School for pupil midwives
and at present provide 6 trained domiciliary midwives and 13 pupils who work within the Borough.
(2) Essex County Council maintain a Part II Training School for pupil midwives at the
Lady Rayleigh Training Home, about half-a-mile outside the Borough. It serves a large part of
south-west Essex and provides 2 domiciliary midwives and pupils who work in that part of the
Borough of West Ham which lies north of the District Railway.
(3) Silvertown and North Woolwich District Nursing Association covers that portion of
West Ham, East Ham and North Woolwich which lies to the south of the Victoria and Albert
Docks. Two District Nurse-Midwives are provided and deal with a very small number of
deliveries each year.
(4) West Ham Borough employs 4 municipal midwives whose work is confined within four
areas which are to some extent also served by the Plaistow Maternity Hospital service.
Supervision of Midwives.
The Senior Assistant Medical Officer, Maternity and Child Welfare, has continued to
act as the Medical Supervisor of midwives, there being no non-medical supervisor. This
doctor undertakes the supervision of the 4 Municipal midwives with whom she is in close
contact. Less direct contact is maintained with agency midwives, mainly through their
supervisors, who are always helpful and co-operative.
Administration of Analgesia by Midwives.
All the domiciliary midwives at present employed are qualified to administer gas and
air analgesia and have been trained in the administration of pethidine.
The apparatus for the administration of gas and air analgesia are sufficient to meet
the demand and the arrangements for the transport of this apparatus have been found satisfactory.
Out of the 555 domiciliary confinements Gas and Air was given to 294 mothers (approximately
53%) and Pethidine to 114 mothers (approximately 21%).
Refresher Courses for Midwives.
Of the four municipal midwives one attended a refresher course arranged by the College
of Midwives in October, 1948, arid one in April-May, 1952, and one in 1953. It is hoped to send
the fourth during 1954. The arrangements for refresher courses for agency midwives are left to
the discretion of the agency.
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