NHS delivers midwifery documents

MIDWIFERY records from Edinburgh dating back to the 1700s are to be opened up to the public.

The Lothian Health Service Archives has a massive collection of documents from a range of eras revealing details of childbirth and health care in general.

The records are already widely used in research, and the service, funded by NHS Lothian and Edinburgh University, hopes that more studies can be carried out now that the data is more accessible.

The files contain birth registers, staff records and minutes from various meetings from as early as 1750.

More detailed statistics can also be found from 1921 onwards.

Among the archives are information on a campaign to keep female-only staff at both Bruntsfield and Elsie Inglis hospitals, which focused on maternity, and photographs of ward scenes.

A spokeswoman said: "The records are a fantastic resource and we hope that new research possibilities can be explored by opening them up to wider audiences."

For more information visit www.lhsa.blogspot.com