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The twelve domicilliary midwives all attended special courses in accordance with the
statutory requirements of the Central Midwives Board. In addition one attended a residential
school on parent craft.
Seven of the twelve domicilliary midwives are approved as training midwives. Newham
normally receives fourteen pupils each three months from Forest date Hospital for the
domicilliary training. Since 1969 this has included a programme of visits and lectures on
all aspects of community care in accordance with the recommendations and with the approval
of the midwives board.
New developments in equipment have been the provision of Entonox and apparatus and
Blease Sampson neo-natal resuscitators to all the midwives. As in the District Nursing Service
there has been an increase in the range and use of disposable equipment.
Since 1969 the domicilliary midwives have collected blood specimens for Guthrie tests for
phenylketonuria from all babies living in the borough who are either born at home or discharged
from hospital before the tests can be carried out. They have also been responsible for
carrying out the repeat test when the test carried out in hospital has proved unsatisfactory.
Ante Natal Clinics
The position of local authority ante natal clinics in Newham reflects the general trend
in development in the field of obstetric care in this country. Owing to the increasing interest
in assumption of responsibility for ante natal care by general practitioners and general
practitioner obstetricians, the number of attendances in the local authority ante natal clinics
has gradually decreased. Accordingly, the number of ante natal sessions has been reduced.
There were 9,519 attendances at 6ll sessions in 1965, compared with 4,382 attendances at 428
sessions in 1970. Statistics are given in Table F on page
In two centres on the east side of the borough, there are general practitioner obstetrician
sessions in local authority premises, assisted by local authority staff. The doctors see not
only cases for home confinement but also expectant mothers referred by hospitals for intermediate
care. On the west side of the borough some of the general practitioner obstetricians attend
local authority clinics with their domicilliary midwives to examine together the women booked by
them for home confinement.
All expectant mothers visiting the local authority centres for the first time are advised
to see their general practitioner and to ask their advice where they should seek ante natal care.
They are given an appropriate letter explaining to the general practitioner the existing
facilities in the borough, asking them to indicate their preference."
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