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21
Midwifery Service— Midwives Act, 1936.
Tottenham Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, being the
Local Supervising Authority for the midwives in its area was called
upon to provide an adequate midwifery service to meet the needs of
women requiring the services of midwives or maternity nurses.
In accordance with the terms of the Act, six whole-time Municipal
Midwives wTere appointed in Tottenham as from August, 1937.
In addition to these midwives employed directly by the Committee,
the Maternity Nursing Association, in conjunction with the Royal
Northern Hospital, accepts responsibility for 200 midwifery cases per
year. The District Nursing Association has also expressed a desire to
be included in the midwifery service.
The district is divided into areas with a Municipal Midwife
living in each. As far as possible every mother is given free choice of
midwife. Each midwife has a partner who is responsible for the dual
districts when her colleague is off duty or engaged elsewhere. Fees
payable for the Municipal Midwifery Service are the same as for the
private midwife. Fees are reduced only in necessitous cases.
Post-Graduate Lectures.
All the midwives avail themselves of the opportunity to attend a
course of post-graduate lectures and demonstrations arranged at
various teaching hospitals.
Midwives' Duties.
Every patient booked by a Municipal Midwife is advised to
attend one of the ante-natal clinics or her own doctor for ante-natal
supervision. A Municipal Midwife visits her patient in her own home
during the ante-natal period and supervises the preparation for the
coming confinement.