[Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Dudley County Borough.
- Dudley (England). County Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1962
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1962] / Medical Officer of Health, Dudley County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![pital. In four cases the reason tor calling on tlie service was because the niotlier had a severe j>ost-|)artuni haemorrhage which could not have been foreseen. All of these mothers had been advised hospital delivery by the midwife but the hospital beds for one reason or another were not available. The fifth call was for a retained placenta with haemorrhage. The establishment of midwives was increased to eight and in s])ite of a number of staff ehanges we were fortunate in maintaining our full establishment for almost the entire year. Longer holidays for midwives, in common with other loeal authority nursing staff, became effe(*ti\'e from the l)eginning of the year, and this, coupled with the increasing number of early diseharges, meant that in spite ot an increased establishmetit the staff were ke|)t busy. Five of the midwives are recognised as teaehing midwives and were responsible for the training of 18 ])upils during the year. All these pupils were suceessful in (|ualifving for their State Certified Midwives' Certiheate. The majority of these })U})ils eome from over- seas and after (‘ompletion ot their training and obtaining additional experienee many K^tnrn to their own countries. 'hwo midwi\'es were sent on refreslier eourses at Oxford. On tlu'ir return tliey gave reports of the course to their colleagues at staff meetings arranged for this piirj)ose. In this way all the mid- wifery staff derived laaiefit from these refresher courses. During the course of their work and in ae(*ordance with the Rules of th(‘ Central Midwives' Hoard, midwives requested “medical aid” from general practitioners for mothers either during pregnancy, labour or in the puerperium and for infants in the lirst fourteen days. 108 calls were made during ])regnancy. 11)9 during labour, 11 in the j)nerperium and 75 for conditions arising in the infants. Although mothers are sliown how to prepare themselves for breast feeding in the clinics omy 19<S of the 455 delivered at home were whollv breast fed on the tenth daxx This compares with 277 in 1961. Section 24—Health Visiting Although one member of the staff retired in July it was possible to make anotlier appointment almost immediately. This still left one health visitor vacancy to be tilled tint there were no suitable ap[)heants for the post. Two health visitors attended refresher eourses during the vear. In Marc'h and again in June health visitors assisted in the enterovirus survey being earriexl out by the Birmingham Public Health Labora- tory. Health visitors continued their varied and important work which ranges over such a wide field. It is hoped to recluce where possible demands on the health visitor’s services for fixed clinic and school sessions in order that she may be free to undertake more home visi- ting which is after all by her very designation her primary function.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29171271_0026.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
