Report of the Departmental Committee appointed by the Lord President of the Council to consider the working of the Midwives Act, 1902.

  • Great Britain. Midwives Act Committee.
Date:
[1909]
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Departmental Committee appointed by the Lord President of the Council to consider the working of the Midwives Act, 1902. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    19 May 1909.] Mr. J. T. Dodd. [Continued. in each case ?—Do you mean make it a criminal offence if not present ? I would not go so far as to make it a criminal oifence. 7019. The evidence from rui-al districts is very considerable as to the number of calls booked by medical men who are not present at the time of birth ? —They are supposed to look after the cases. 7020. But the medical man books a case and, having taken the responsibility of the case, is then unable to be present at the birth, and the evidence we have is that in a great many instances that is so; I did not know whether you wished to imply here that some action should be taken in the event of such a thing occurring ? —I think if such a thing occuiTCd constantly it would be very unsatisfactory, because accidents will happen. 7021. Tou would not propose that there should be any legislative action taken, would you ?—'No, I am not prepared to say that. 7022. Then later on in your precis, you state that the county borough and county councils are the local supervising authorities of midwives, but they have no power to supply midwifery or medical assistance. Do you wish to imply that you think it advisable that they should have power'to supply and maintain midwives ?—I think exactly what I should like best is that the midwifery relief should be handed over entirely to town councils; but I see there are great difficulties in the way, and it would, of course, need legislation. 7023. But in the rui-al disti-icts ?—I do not see any need to make any particular alteration there, because the district authorities and boards of guardians there are practically the same people. 7024. But you might have the county council?— I do not think that would be an improvement. The county council would be too far off. 7025. You would suggest municipal authorities or district coimcils ?—Yes, that would be an imj^rovement. I want to lay emphasis on the proviso contained in my precis, that it is essential that we should maintain the right to relief that the people now have. In so many instances under sanitary Acts, the sanitary authority are given power to do this, that, and the other, but are not obliged to do it, and very often do not do it. So that I should be loth to give up the right to relief from the guardians that the poor person has now, and merely get in exchange a power given to the town council to give relief. I mean the poor have as much right to necessary relief as I have to my house or land. They have it by law. 7026. Then you consider that these borough councils and district councils should have the power to maintain a midwife, that is to say, to give her a salary upon which she could live?—To give her a salary; not necessarily employing her the whole time; she might not be needed for the whole time. 7027. But they might subsidise her in addition to what she could earn ?—Yes, I think so. 7028. To ensure her a living wage ?—Yes, provided you maintain these rights to relief, to which I refer. 7029. Would you suggest that each district council should have at least one midwife at their disposal, or mox-e ?—I can only say it would be according to circumstances. One might be sufficient, or they might want more. I think there should be at least one. In each district in Ireland they have one now, I believe, or 7030. It is worked on rather a different system there ?—Yes, it is worked on rather a different system in Ireland. 7031. You think that the public bodies should, therefore, have the power to supply and maintain as well as supervise midwives ?—I think it would be desirable. 7032. Would you suggest any co-operation on the part of voluntary associations for this purpose?—I think it would be advantageous to give them the power to co-operate. 7033. You had not thought of that, had you? — Nothing should take away from the public authority their duty to the poor in this respect. They should not be allowed to say voluntary societies will do, and therefore we will not do it, or we shall put it in the hands of a voluntary association to do it, or any- thing of that sort. Obviously it is a very good thing that people who have the same objects should work together as far as possible. 7034. In Oxford there are two charitable societies for this purpose, are there not ?—Two or three ; two certainly. 7035. And they undertake most of the midwifery cases of the poorer inhabitants of the town ?—There is a Provident Dispensary that takes some, and the Free Dispensary that takes some, and there is the Acland Institution. 7036. Do you know how many midwives those three associations supply altogether?—No, I do not know how many the Provident Dispensary has, or whether it has any at all. The Free Dispensary has doctors, but no midwives. The Acland Institute has midwives, and they have of com-se a doctor in cases of difficulty. 7037. Do you know the number?—I do not know the number. 7038. You do not know the number of cases imder- taken by those societies ?—No. 7039. You stated just now in your evidence that it was legal for boards of guardians to appoint a mid- wife ?—Yes. 7040. Do you know any case where the board of guardians have acted upon that right?—I do not remember. Many years ago the Poor Law Board cautioned them as to appointing women, but at that time women wei-e not skilled. It may be 40 or 50 years ago. They advised the boards of guardians not to appoint women for confinements, but that is many years ago. (See 11 Off. Cir. 88; Macmorrau, 172 n.) 7041. Do you mean no skilled woman at all, or no midwife?—There were no trained women certified as midwives in those days, 50 years ago. They advised boards of guardians not to appoint women to look after confinements. 7042. There were no midwives ? —There was no certified trained midwife, but now they are trained and certified. 7043. They could not appoint what was non-ex- istent, could they ?—Exactly. 7044. But now is the appointment of midwives encouraged by the Local Goveniment Board ?—I do not know. 7045. You do not know at all one way or the other ? —No. 7046. In your evidence with regard to the reduction of infant mortality, in Oxford,* you stated that some small share of these gratifying results may be due to the Oxford board of guardians which relaxed its deterrent system as to medical relief. What was that deterrent system ?—All medical relief was given on loan in the first instance. 7047. And how is it done now ?—Now in some cases we give it without putting it on loan. The board of guardians had a rule that all confinements relieved should be put on loan, but that has been relaxed to some extent, and it is less difficult to get medical relief for children from the board of guardians than it was. Five or six years ago we had a great struggle to make it so. But I think an immense amount of mischief has been done by boards of guardians in deterring people coming for relief in confinement. There is a great deal about that in the report of the Poor Law Com- mission. 7048. [Mr. Davy.) I gather from you that you think there are qxiite a considerable number of people in Oxford who cannot pay for a midwife ?—Yes. 7049. People who cannot pay 7s. 6d. ?—^They cannot properly pay 7s. 6d. 7050. Even if they have seven or eight months' notice to find the money ?—I do say so. 7051. And that is a mischief?—That is a mischief. 7052. Are there any friendly societies in Oxford which make it easier for men to make such provision ?— There are a great many friendly societies and they do a good deal of good. 7053. Do they give midwifery benefits on payment of so much a week ?—I caoinot be quite certain of that. * See Question No. 6997.