[Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Pembrokeshire County Council.

  • Pembrokeshire (Wales). County Council.
Date:
1971
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1971] / Medical Officer of Health, Pembrokeshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/42 (page 19)
    At a meeting of the Maternity Liaison Committee in July* ^ which the medical officers of health of the three South->.est Wales Counties were present, the progress of the local family planning service and the possible provision of a domiciliary service were considered. These aspects of the service were also included in a discussion held on the 14th December, 1971, between representatives of the County Health Committee, Mrs J.E. Williams, Organising Secretary of the Mid and West ’4ales Branch of the Family Planning Association, and the officials of the two local sub-branches. The helpful co-operation of Mrs J.E. ’.Yil]iams and the local officials throughout the year was appreciated. The arrangements for the taking of cervical cytology smears at the local family planning clinics are described in the section relating to prevention, care and after-care of ilDness. 2. DCMICn^Ii'dlY MIDVTPERY The decline in the demand for a comprehensive domiciliary midwifery service has continued as in other areas of England and Wales. The proportion of local births in hospital was 971^^ 1971 as compared with 97.2;.', 95.4:0 and 92.9:=' in 1970, 1969 and 1968 respect-_ ively: the total number of local home confinements was only thirty-nine in 1971. The domiciliary midwives participated in the care of nursing mothers and babies on early discharge from hospital maternity units and, in seme areas, assisted general practitioners with the ante—natal care of expectant mothers. The latter arrangement has developed appreciably in recent years and is a welcome development. No domiciliary midwife is employed on full-time midwifery in this County. 'Gas and oxygen' (Entonox) analgesia machines were available for use in domiciliary midwifery. Four domiciliary midvri.ves attended approved refresher courses at Liverpool and Cheltenham. One midv/ife was seconded in 1971 for a short period of experience at a local hospital maternity unit. The Director of Nursing Services (County Nursing Officer) is the non-medical supervisor of midwives. The following statistics relate to the midwifery services in this County in 1971 : Number of live and still-births 1,552 Number of such births in hospital (including transfers from other areas) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,513 Number of such births at home (including transfers from other areas) 39 Number of home births attended by private midwives ... Number of still-births in hospital 41 Number of still-births at home Number of midwives (part-time) employed by the County Council 21 Number of hospital midwives in practice on 31st Decemiber, 1971 28 Number of midwives in private practice on 31st December, 1971 Number of maternal deaths in hospital