The general practitioner and changes in obstetric practice.

Compared with the 1960s fewer general practitioners today are obtaining a postgraduate diploma in obstetrics, and the future more stringent criteria for practitioners wishing to undertake this will probably restrict the numbers of family doctors wishing to practise in this field. More deliveries are being performed in institutions--either in consultant or general-practitioner units. Morever, within a decade probably few G.P.s will attend during normal labour or delivery, which can and should be conducted by midwives. In future, therefore, G.P.s should have a new role in obstetrics, being responsible for some antenatal supervision and postnatal care, including postnatal examinations, taking a cervical smear, and advice on birth control.