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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY
The trend towards more hospital confinements, with early discharge in appropriate cases,
continues. This had a marked effect on the number of home confinements attended during the year,
which dropped from 447 in 1965 to 326 in 1966, whilst the number of planned early discharges, on
or about the second day after delivery, rose from 279 to 332.
Two midwives, formerly resident in the homes of the two district nursing associations in
Hampstead, were rehoused in two flats in their areas of practice with the assistance of the
Housing Department.
16 pupil midwives from Paddington Hospital undertook part II of their training on the
district with the Council's midwives during the year. All were successful in obtaining the Certificate
of the Central Midwives Board.
In September a new uniform for domiciliary midwives was approved and adopted. The outfit
is flattering and comfortable to wear and both the dress and jacket are easy to wash. Previously
the midwives taken over from the District Nursing Associations had worn Queen's navy blue uniforms,
together with Queen's badges and buttons, while the former London County Council midwives had
worn the grey uniform approved by the Central Midwives Board. It was considered that a smart new
uniform such as the one approved would be attractive to fashion-conscious young midwives and
and might aid recruitment.
A uniform allowance of £30 per year was granted to home nurses and midwives, i.e. an
initial allowance of £45 to cover the first eighteen months of service, and £30 annually thereafter.
It was noted that hospitals were not always issuing sterile maternity nursing packs to
patients discharged early - and that sometimes when packs were issued they were inadequate. The
Health Department now supplies domiciliary midwives with such packs.
FAMILY PLANNING
DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMME
The programme of development of the Family Planning Services in the Borough outlined in
my annual report for 1965, came into operation in 1966.
By the end of the year on average 9.6 sessions a week were held at eight maternity and
and child welfare centres compared with 4.5 sessions weekly at three centres at the beginning of
the year. Sessions commenced at the following centres where none had previously been in operation:-
Barnes House, 9-15 Camden Road, N.W.I
Daleham Gardens, 3-5 Daleham Gardens, N.W.3
St. Alban's, St. Alban's Villas, St. Alban's Road, N.W.5
Solent, 9 Solent Road, N.W.6
Queen's Crescent, 129 Queen's Crescent, N.W.5.
Average attendances at sessions were about the same as in 1965, i.e. 9.9 (10.4) per session.
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