[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Blackpool County Borough.

  • Blackpool (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Blackpool County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The strength of Midwives remained the same throughout the year, and the training of pupil midwives continued. During the year the 4 Municipal Midwives, approved as teachers under the Central Midwives Board, had 21 pupils under instruc- tion for Part II training. The effects of the increased leave awarded to midwives in 1955, is shown by the fact that on the present strength of five midwives, for 25 weeks of the year, there are only 4 midwives on duty to cover domiciliary deliveries, visits and nursing, attend weekly the 7 busy ante-natal sessions ; and instruct and cater for the pupil midwives. It is pleasing to report that absenteeism through ill health was at a low rate, 15 days only being lost through sickness during the year. The following table shows cases attended by all midwives in the borough and shows an increase of 154 cases over the year 1959 :— Confinements Attended Confinements wit l the use of — Pethedine Trilene Gas/Air Analgesia General Anaesthetic (a) Local Health Authority Services— Municipal Midwives ... 410 193 3 339 — (b) Hospital Services—In State Hospitals 1,824 983 561 728 79 (c) In Private Practice—Domiciliary, Nursing Homes, etc. 55 41 8 45 2 Total—All Services ... . 2,289 1,217 572 1,112 81 The following table shows the trend of domiciliary and hospital confinements in the borough for the years 1955/1960 :— Hospital Domiciliary ... Maternity Homes I960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1,824 1,751 1,626 1,648 1,568 1,469 410 379 388 368 372 340 55 5 — 75 66 71 2,289 2,135 2,014 2,091 2,006 1,880 1 Care of Premature Infants. The question of a special nurse to attend all prema- ture births at home has been discussed, but Midwives have disagreed with this policy. The main reasons for this attitude have been :— (a) Numbers not large enough to warrant it, (b) It was invariably the rule to send to hospital infants weighing under 4 lbs., or those diagnosed as dangerously feeble. (c) Another person in contact with mother and baby only increases danger of infection, (d) The Midwives, with the assistance of the Non Medical Supervisor of Midwives, were able to care for their own premature infants. Each Midwife is supplied with the following emergency equipment :— 2 Hot water bottles with covers, 1 Wall Thermometer, 1 Belcroy Feeder, 1 Low Temperature Thermometer, 2 Gamgee cloaks with hoods. Urgent consideration is being given to the provision of means of transportation of premature and feeble infants to hospital.