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Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Standing Maternity and Midwifery Advisory Committee

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 1538 RCOG/D3

Held at: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Title: Standing Maternity and Midwifery Advisory Committee

Date(s): 1944-1974

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 1 box

Name of creator(s): Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The National Health Service Act 1946 established a Central Health Services Council to advise the Minister of Health and this included, ex-officio, the presidents of the medical Royal Colleges. It also empowered him to constitute standing advisory committees to provide guidance on particular services. Initially, nine such committees were appointed, a Maternity and Midwifery Advisory Committee being one. In 1967 this considered the future of the domiciliary midwifery service and bed needs for maternity patients in the context of an increasing hospital confinement rate, a shorter length of hospital stay and a falling birth rate. It established a subcommittee to examine the issue. This held its first meeting in September 1967. Sir John Peel was elected Chairman. It met thirteen times and took evidence from a range of organisations and individuals. Its 1970 report, known as the Peel Report, was subsequently controversial for its recommendation that 'sufficient facilities shuld be provoided to allow for 100% hospital delivery' and that 'the greater safety of hospital confinement for mother and child justifies this objective.'

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' Standing Maternity and Midwifery Advisory Committee, 1944-1974, comprising correspondence and papers of John Peel as Chair of the Sub-committee to consider the future of the Domiciliary Midwifery Services and Bed Needs, 1968-1969; papers of RCOG Presidents Norman Jeffcoate and Stanley Clayton as chairmen of the Standing Maternity and Midwifery Advisory Committee during their respective terms of office, 1970-1974; also includes RCOG publications on national maternity and obstetric services, 1944-1968.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Open, although restrictions apply for items containing personal information.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

RCOG/B3/2 have been indexed and the names of successful candidates will be found in the Index to the Guide to the College Archives.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

In 1999 a Disposal Agreement (DA/5) was made between the Administration Department and the College Archives to destroy unsuccessful applications.

Accruals:

No further accruals are expected.

Archival history:

The Committee is serviced by the Postgraduate Training Department, which transfers records to the Archives on a regular basis.

Immediate source of acquisition:

It is probable that C7/1-3 were removed from President's correspondence files. The records at C7/4-5 were transferred to the Archives by the Committee Secretary, Administration Department. The 1993 report on GP vocational training in obstetrics and gynaecology (C7/5) was found amongst President's papers for that year.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

A microfilm copy of the minute book at C7/1M is at MR/17.

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Imported from the RCOG catalogue and edited by Sarah Drewery.