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

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. 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.

Patient's name in full

Residence

By whom requested to attend patient

Age

Date of delivery

Hours in labour

Sex of Child M. or F.

Alive or Dead

Observations

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.

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