Midwifery

Press, 15 June 1985, Page 18

Midwifery

Sir, — The present precarious position of registered midwives reminds me of a story by a colleague in a large training school for midwives in Dublin. Her stories invariably began with “When I was doing district on me bike.” While walking up the main street one day an old doctor called across the traffic: “How’s that breech coming along nurse?” She bellowed back that the doctor had just passed him with his school-bag, making for the primary school. It is a pity certain nurses in 1979 in Christchurch down-graded their profession and accommodated a doctor’s political bias in an Arbitration Court case. Now they have only themselves to blame. At least one leading school in Europe, the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin — is increasing its midwifery training from one year to two years. What hopes have our babies of making primary school, without well-trained and experienced midwives? — Yours, etc., NESSIE LISTER-VIAL, Ashburton. June 13, 1985.