{{Infobox UK legislation, short_title=Midwives Act 1902, parliament=, year=, citation=2 Edw. VII c. 17, royal_assent=31 July 1902, commencement=1 April 1903, status=Repealed The Midwives Act 1902 ( 2 Edw. VII c. 17) was an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

, given the royal assent on 31 July 1902, in force from 1 April 1903, and repealed in 1951. It regulated the profession of

midwifery Midwifery is the health science and health profession that deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period (including care of the newborn), in addition to the sexual and reproductive health of women throughout their lives. In many ...

, requiring certification for midwives and providing a penalty for any woman practising midwifery without certification, with the exception of legally qualified medical practitioners or those giving assistance in emergencies. However, it emphasised that this certification was not certification as a "medical practitioner", nor did it give standing under the Medical Acts. The Act established a Central Midwives Board, which would regulate the issue of certificates and keep a central register of midwives, as well as regulating any courses of training or examinations, providing a means for the suspension of practitioners, and generally supervising the effective running of the profession. Power to supervise midwives on the local level was given to county and borough councils, who were to report any suspected malpractice to the Board, along with the name of any practising midwife convicted of an offence, and generally to keep records of the local practitioners. These powers could be delegated to a district council (or London metropolitan borough councils). Any woman certified under the Act was to notify her local supervisory authority of her intention to practice each year, on penalty of a fine for any failure to submit a notification or any omission of information on it. Any false representations to obtain a certificate, or any attempts to falsify an entry on the roll of midwives, were a misdemeanour, to be penalised by imprisonment for up to a year with or without hard labour. The Act did not extend to Scotland or to Ireland, and did not in any way apply to qualified medical practitioners. It was repealed by the Midwives Act 1951, although the Board continued to supervise midwifery. In 1983, the

Nursing and Midwifery Council The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the regulator for nursing and midwifery professions in the UK. The NMC maintains a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses and nursing associates eligible to pra ...

took over the duties that the Board had previously executed. Subsequent Acts of Parliament regulating midwifery were subsumed by the

Health Act 1999 Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

, which delegated powers to regulate medical professions to the

Secretary of State for Health The secretary of state for health and social care, also referred to as the health secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, responsible for the work of the Department of Health and Social Care. The incumbent ...

by statutory instrument or

order in council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council (''Kin ...

. The rules which govern The Nursing and Midwifery Council are set out in The Nursing and Midwifery Council (Midwives) Rules Order of Council 2012.

References

*''The Public General Acts Passed in the Second Year of the Reign of His Majesty King Edward the Seventh''. London: printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1902. *''Chronological table of the statutes''; HMSO, London. 1993. United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1902 Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning healthcare Repealed United Kingdom Acts of Parliament Midwifery in the United Kingdom

See also

References