S.I. No. 76/1956 - Health (Duties of Midwives) Order, 1956.

S.I. No. 76 of 1956.

HEALTH (DUTIES OF MIDWIVES) ORDER, 1956.

The Minister for Health, being the appropriate Minister for the purposes of Part II of the Local Government Act, 1941 (No. 23 of 1941) as respects the office of midwife, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 20 of the said Act (as amended by section 15 of the Local Government Act, 1955 (No. 9 of 1955)), hereby declares and orders as follows :

1. This Order may be cited as the Health (Duties of Midwives) Order, 1956.

2.—(1) In this Order—

" the Minister " means the Minister for Health ;

" the General Medical Services Register " means the Register established under article 10 of the General Medical Services Regulations, 1954 ( S.I. No. 102 of 1954 ) ;

" midwifery services " means such of the following services as are appropriate in any individual case :

(a) an initial visit (to be carried out not later than the eighth month of pregnancy and, where possible, before the sixth month of pregnancy ;

(b) attendance at the confinement ;

(c) such other care as is required by such rules of An Bord Altranais as are for the time being in force in relation to the practice of midwifery ;

(d) such other care as the midwife considers necessary or as may be directed by the doctor attending on the patient during pregnancy, labour or the lying-in period (as defined by the rules of An Bord Altranais for the time being in force).

(2) A reference in this Order to a health authority shall be construed as including a reference to a board of assistance or a board of public assistance.

(3) Other words and expressions used in this Order shall have the meanings assigned to them by the Health Acts, 1947 and 1953.

(4) A reference in this Order to a dispensary district shall, in relation to a midwife to whom a division of a dispensary district only has been assigned, be construed as a reference to such division and references to the district medical officer of the district shall be construed as references to the district medical officer in charge of such division.

3. This Order shall come into operation on the 31st day of March, 1956.

4. The Health (Duties of Midwives) Order, 1954 ( S.I. No. 169 of 1954 ) shall be revoked as from the commencement of this Order.

5. The duties specified in the first Schedule to this Order shall be the duties of holders of the office of midwife.

FIRST SCHEDULE.

DUTIES OF MIDWIVES.

1.—(a) In the case of a midwife who has entered into an agreement with the health authority for the provision of midwifery services under article 14 of the Maternity and Child Health Service Regulations, 1954 ( S.I. No. 98 of 1954 )—to afford midwifery services to any woman entitled under section 16 of the Health Act, 1953 (No. 26 of 1953) to such services who is assigned to her by the chief medical officer of the health authority ;

(b) in the case of any other midwife—to afford midwifery services, on request, to any woman in the dispensary district who is entitled under section 16 of the Health Act, 1953 , to such services.

2.—(1) In any case being attended by her, in which the assistance of a medical practitioner becomes necessary, to summon the appropriate medical practitioner.

(2) In this paragraph " appropriate medical practitioner " means

(a) if a medical practitioner has been chosen by the woman and has agreed to accept her for medical services in respect of motherhood under the agreement entered into by him with the health authority in accordance with the provisions of the Maternity and Child Health Services Regulations, 1954 ( S.I. No. 98 of 1954 ) (as amended by the Maternity and Child Health Services Regulations, 1956 ( S.I. No. 44 of 1956 ) )—that medical practitioner or

(b) if a medical practitioner has not agreed to accept the woman as aforesaid and the woman is entitled to services under Section 14 of the Health Act, 1953 —the district medical officer

3. On the termination of any case in which the assistance of a medical practitioner has not been summoned, to make a report on the case to the medical practitioner who had agreed to accept the woman as a patient under his agreement with the health authority or, where there had been no such acceptance, to the chief medical officer of the district.

4. To keep a register in the form set out in the Second Schedule to this order of all cases attended by her in the discharge of the duties of her office and, when so required, to submit such register for inspection to any officer of the health authority or the Minister (being a registered medical practitioner or a nurse) and also, when required by the health authority, to submit the register through such officer for examination by the health authority.

5. To occupy the dispensary midwife's residence where one is provided and to pay such rent therefor as the health authority, with the approval of the Minister, may determine.

6. Where no dispensary midwife's residence is provided, to reside in such place as the health authority, with the approval of the Minister, shall determine.

7. To furnish without charge to a woman to whom she affords midwifery services, any certificate in relation to pregnancy, or to the parent of a child in relation to the health of the child, which she or he may require for the purpose of applying for a maternity benefit under section 23 of the Health Act, 1953 , or under the Social Welfare Act, 1952 , or for milk under section 24 of the Health Act, 1953 , or for obtaining any other benefit under the Health Acts, 1947 to 1954.

SECOND SCHEDULE.

FORM OF MIDWIFE'S REGISTER.

REGISTER OF CASES ATTENDED BY MIDWIFE.

....................................Dispensary District.

....................................Name of Midwife.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health this Twenty-third day of March, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Fifty-six.

THOMAS F. O'HIGGINS,

Minister for Health.