DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY IN WOLVERHAMPTON

The trend in midwifery in the U.K. is towards a higher proportion of hospital confinements; but this is not conducive to getting value for money. Experience in Wolverhampton, where the maternity work load has increased strikingly in the past few years, shows that an inexpensive, flexible, and safe policy of domiciliary delivery or aftercare following early discharge is workable. Before the domiciliary service is finally rejected, the Minister of Health should reassess the scope of this policy.