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MIDWIFERY
The total home confinements during the year numbered 261 and in all
but two cases a doctor was booked. (137 women were given analgesia).
The number of mothers discharged from hospital before the tenth day
totalled 374 as against 266 the previous year.
The extended agency arrangement whereby the domiciliary midwifery
service for the whole borough was provided by the Mothers' Hospital
(Salvation Army) continued. One of the midwives retained on the Council's
payroll retired during the year, thus leaving only 2 Council employed
midwives working on the duty rota along with the hospital district
midwives.
During the year 201 State Certified Midwives notified this Council
as the local supervising authority of their intention to practise within
the area.
The practical training of pupil midwives taking part 2 of their
Midwifery training course is now dealt with in its entirety by the
Mothers' Hospital within the agency service. A recent paper issued by
the Central Midwives Board emphasised the need to train pupil midwives
to work as members of the community health team in educating the public,
especially expectant and nursing mothers, in the principles of healthy
living. In addition the Board recommended that pupil midwives should
be given a composite picture of the work of the local authority as it
affects community care as a whole.
CERVICAL CYTOLOGY
Mobile Cytology Unit
Following the visits in 1969 and 1970 of the mobile unit, the
Health Committee have decided that this should in future be an annual
event and the mobile cytology unit lent by the Women's National Cancer
Control Campaign revisited the Borough for a 4 week period in August.