Final report of Departmental Committee on Maternal Mortality & Morbidity.

  • Great Britain. Committee on Maternal Mortality & Morbidity.
Date:
1932
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Final report of Departmental Committee on Maternal Mortality & Morbidity. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    30/160 (page 28)
    CHAPTER III. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS ‘AS TO MATERNITY SERVICES. The recommendations as to betterment of the provision for maternal care throughout the country, which were the result of the Committee’s earlier deliberations, were summed up in their Interim Report (August, 1930) in the form of suggestions for an improved maternity service, which should expand, supplement and co-ordinate the services already provided by. local authorities, voluntary bodies, and private medical practitioners and midwives. The general out- lines of such a scheme were accepted by the late Government, and preliminary steps were taken to give them practical effect. Since then, however, it has become evident that the financial position of the country precludes substantial expenditure for this purpose. The Committee have, therefore, given renewed consideration to — the best means of improving the existing services without compre- hensive re-organisation on the lines originally considered by them. Such a revision connotes no departure from the principles laid down as to the essentials of a sound midwifery service. These essentials were formulated in the Interim Report (page 92) as: — (1) The provision in every case of the services of a registered midwife to act either as midwife or as maternity nurse. (2) The provision of a doctor to carry out ante-natal and post- natal examination in every case, and to attend as may prove necessary, during pregnancy, labour and the puer- perium, all cases showing any abnormality. (3) The provision of a consultant, when desired by the doctor in attendance, during pregnancy, labour and the puer- perium. (4) The provision of hospital beds for such cases as need institu- tional care. (0) The provision of certain ancillary services. Provision for many aspects of maternal care is within the existing owers of local authorities under the Midwives Acts, the Notification of Births (Extension) Act, 1915, and the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, and the services which they are authorised to provide for this purpose may be briefly enumerated. Midwrifery. Provision of midwives by salary or by subsidy. Provision of transport, telephone and equipment. Payment of midwife’s fee in necessitous cases. Payment of doctors called to the assistance of a midwife. (This is a statutory obligation under the Midwives Act, 1918.)