HC Deb 14 March 1961 vol 636 cc113-4W
Mr. K. Robinson

asked the Minister of Health if he will set out the criteria agreed with the medical profession for admission to the obstetric list; and if he will state the minor points arising out of the Cranbrook Report upon which agreement has yet to be reached with the profession.

Mr. Powell

A doctor must comply with one of the following criteria:

  1. (i) that he has held a six months' resident appointment in a hospital obstetric unit within the past ten years; or
  2. (ii) if he has held a six months' resident post in an obstetric unit, but not within the past ten years, that he has attended an appropriate refresher course in obstetrics within the past five years; or
  3. (iii) that he has within the past two years been on the obstetric list of the same or another Executive Council and at the time of leaving it could have qualified for admission to it under (i) or (ii) above; or
  4. (iv) that he has been in obstetric practice involving attendance within the last five years on not less than 100 maternity cases, for which he has been responsible for ante-natal care in all, and supervision of labour and the puerperium in at least 50; or
  5. (v) that at the time of application he is on another obstetric list and is qualified to remain on it for a further period; provided that a review shall take place not later than it otherwise would have done in the other area; or
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  6. (vi) that within the past two years he has had non-resident experience in an obstetric unit under a consultant obstetrician in accordance with the 1953 recommendations of the Standing Maternity and Midwifery Advisory Committee. This non-resident experience should include within six months:—
  1. (a) not less than 20 normal deliveries, and
  2. (b) attendance at not less than 10 abnormal confinements, and
  3. (c) attendance at not less than 10 antenatal and two post-natal clinics.

The points requiring further consideration are the future staffing of local authority ante-natal clinics, the introduction of an appeal against decisions of the local obstetric committees, the arrangements for the payment of medical fees, the reservation of general practitioner maternity beds for general practitioner obstetricians, and the publication by hospital authorities of clinical reports to include the domiciliary midwifery services.