§ 29. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health, what is the shortage of trained maternity nurses or midwives for domiciliary service and of home helps for maternity cases in the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region; and what steps are being taken to overcome this shortage.
§ Mr. BarberTwo of the local health authorities in this area are seeking to recruit more midwives, but the domiciliary service has everywhere been equal to the demands on it. Present numbers of home helps permit all the authorities to meet the needs of maternity cases, which receive priority.
§ Mr. SorensenThe Minister has not given the exact number. Can he say whether the number, or the percentage, is higher or lower than it is in other parts of the country? Will he not appreciate that there is a very serious shortage of maternity nurses in this area, as well as in other areas? As it is impossible to order a decrease in the birth rate, should there not be more facilities for these mothers to bear their children?
§ Mr. BarberAs a result of the hon. Gentleman's Question, I have made considerable inquiries from four county councils and three county borough councils. Where the midwifery staff is below strength, as it is in Essex and Hertfordshire, the authorities are making every effort to recruit staff and are taking steps to improve the conditions of service; for 14 example, by providing houses, by providing cars, and by arranging to rotate all-night duties. But, in general, the answer is as I gave it him a moment ago.
§ Mr. SorensenWill the Minister agree with the recent impressive statement that a largo number of babies are dying every year because of the lack of this kind of service?
§ Mr. BarberThe hon. Gentleman is no doubt referring to the two reports published last week. I could not be other than concerned even if only one solitary family tragedy were to occur, and I certainly do not wish to minimise the importance of the reports or the seriousness of the situation. But I think that the hon. Member should bear in mind that the main survey to which he has referred took place in 1958—more than five years ago. There has been very considerable improvement since then. The number of hospital maternity beds, the number of midwives and the number of confinements in hospitals have all been increasing year by year. Perhaps I could add just one other point—[Interruption.] If the right hon. Gentleman had read the Report he would appreciate its importance. Since 1958, when that survey took place, mortality rates have been going down steadily. The perinatal rate has fallen from 35 in 1958 to 30.8 in 1962, and the still-birth rate from 21.5 to 18.1 in the same period.