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27
Midwifery Service—Midwives' Act, 1936.
The Tottenham Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, being the
Local Supervising Authority for the midwives in its area, was called upon
under the provisions of the Midwives' Act, 1936, to provide an adequate
midwifery service in the Borough, and it is now possible to review the
position in the light of some experience.
The main purposes of the Act, it will be remembered, are:—
(1) To secure a domiciliary service of salaried midwives under
the control of the Local Supervising Authority either by themselves
employing whole-time salaried midwives or by arranging with
voluntary organisations or Nursing Associations providing, or willing
to provide, midwifery services in the district.
(2) To improve the standard of midwifery and to effect a reduction
in the Maternal Mortality rate.
(3) To improve the status of the midwifery profession.
(4) To compensate midwives who retire within a specified period.
(5) To provide for the periodical attendance at post-certificate
courses of all practising midwives.
(6) To prohibit maternity nursing by unqualified persons.
The Maternity and Child Welfare Committee have, accordingly,
appointed seven municipal midwives and have also entered into an
-agreement with the Maternity Nursing Association attached to the Royal
Northern Hospital to accept responsibility for approximately 200 cases
per annum and to provide the services of two midwives for this purpose.
The Tottenham District Nursing Association have also indicated their
desire to participate in the scheme and will provide, as from 1st January,
1939, the services of three midwives.
It will be seen that the Council's scheme provides in all for the
services of twelve midwives and this is considered to be adequate for the
needs of the Borough.
Prohibition of midwifery practice by unqualified persons.
Section 6 of the Midwives Act, 1936, makes the following provisions:—
"(1) If, on or after the date on which this Section is applied to
''the area of any authority or to any county district contained therein,