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68
MIDWIFERY SERVICE
Throughout the year difficulty has been encountered in maintaining a sufficient number of
midwives to ensure a safe and workable service. Fortunately, it has been possible to find
replacements for those midwives who left the service but it has been impossible to maintain a
full establishment.
Every effort is being made to attract midwives into the local service. Two were recruited
from pupil midwives trained in the area and one other mainly because it was possible to offer
housing accommodation. There is no doubt that facilities for transport and housing play an
important part in the recruitment of midwives.
The introduction of a shift system which would afford the midwife some undisturbed nights
is proposed as soon as a sufficient number of staff can be obtained. Each midwife has undertaken
more than the recommended number of deliveries.
Any difficulty encountered is often due to the fact that people do not avail themselves of
the services provided and there are still small numbers of pregnant women who do not receive
adequate ante-natal care. One hundred per cent ante-natal care is the key to trouble-free confinements.
An increasing number of general practitioners are undertaking ante-natal care and engaging
in the practice of obstetrics. Their co-operation with the midwives has been excellent.
Early discharges from hospital continue to form a part of every midwife's work. Patients
are commonly sent home on the third day following confinement and receive two visits on this day
and a daily visit thereafter by their midwives until the fourteenth day.
All midwives are at present up to date with refresher courses. These are found to be useful
and stimulating and much appreciated by the midwives. One midwife is at present taking the
course for the Midwife Teachers Diploma
Five or six pupil midwives are continuously in training on the district from the Alexandra
Maternity Home at Muswell Hill. Seventeen pupils were trained in 1959, fifteen of whom were
successful at the examination.

HEALTH VISITING SERVICE
The main work of the health visitor is still basically the teaching of the principles of health
and well being. Guiding towards health in clinics and homes is applied to the family as it is
needed in consultation with parents or members of a family or individuals living alone. In those