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Refresher Courses for Midwives.
Two midwives attended and derived much benefit from a residential course held
in Leeds during August. On their return they discussed with the rest of the staff
the new knowledge and different points of view which they had been given. Under the
rules of the Gentral Midwives Board, after 31st December, 1957, it will be necessary
for every midwife who has not qualified within the last five years, to attend a course
of instruction approved by the Board, unless she has attended such a course during the
preceding five years. In order to avoid having to send several midwives to courses
during 1958 it is hoped to space their attendance at courses in such a way that the
service will not be unduly depleted during any one year.
Relaxation Classes.
On account of the reorganisation of the midwifery service, we have not yet been
able to resume the relaxation and mothercraft classes which had been organised so
successfully at West Ham Lane clinic, during the past two years. However, we were
fortunate in being able to make arrangements whereby one of the Medical Officers in
charge of ante-natal clinics, the Non-Medical Supervisor of Midwives, and two midwives
attended a series of sessions on "Relaxation and Mothercraft" at University College
Hospital. When circumstances permit it is hoped that the remaining midwives will attend
and that we shall before long be able to organise similar classes in each of our own
clinics, so that the West Ham mothers may have the benefit of this new approach to
childbirth, which takes into account the mental and emotional factors as well as the
physical.
Training of Pupil Midwives.
All the municipal midwives have co-operated in the district training of pupil
midwives. These pupils, who have already completed six months training in hospital,
are resident in a hostel at Plaistow Maternity hospital, and their tutor is a member
of the hospital staff. Each is allocated to one of the domiciliary midwives for six
months, and accompanies her throughout her daily work. All the first group of pupils, who
had been with the municipal midwives for three months of their training, were successful
in their examination in June. And of the second group who took their examination in
December five out of six were successful. This reflects much credit on all the midwives,
but in particular on the four municipal midwives who, although very experienced in
midwifery, had had no recent experience of teaching pupils.
Co-ordination of Maternity Services.
Now that we have achieved close working arrangements between the municipal midwives
and the doctors and health visitors working in the Council's ante-natal clinics, we are
seeking to achieve an equally close co-operation between the midwives and the doctors
giving maternity medical services. In West Earn this co-operation has always been friendly,
but we hope to make it closer by providing an opportunity for doctor and midwife to see
the patients together on at least two occasions. These consultations are to be arranged
by mutual agreement, either at the doctor's surgery or at the sessions of the municipal
clinic at which the midwife normally carries out her examinations. The responsibility for
initiating these consultations is to be placed on the midwife.
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