London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

Battersea 1920

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Battersea Borough]

This page requires JavaScript

21
(g) Chislehurst Mission (St. James' Hall, Ponton
Road).
(h) St. Mary's Hostel for Unmarried Mothers
and their children (Macaulay Road,
Clapham).
(i) St. Margaret's Creche and Hostel (10 and 12
Cambridge Road).
For administrative purposes the Borough is sub-divided
into six areas, in each of which a Maternity and Child
Welfare Centre is established, either municipal or voluntary.
Each Centre is presided over by a trained health visitor, and
to each of them is attached a clinic, which is attended by a
qualified medical woman.
During the year the Council took over the Voluntary
Centre at Plough Road Baths, hitherto run by the Battersea
School for Mothers. This enabled the latter body to concentrate
upon their Mundella Road Centre, while, at the same
time, their district was enlarged by arrangement with the
Medical Officer of Health.
Towards the end of the year the Council had under consideration
a proposal for the inclusion in their Borough
Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme of the organisation at
Nine Elms, conducted by a voluntary society (the Women's
League of Freedom), part of whose welfare work is the provision
of meals to expectant and nursing mothers and young
children, as well as a Creche Hostel. It is hoped that it will
be possible at an early date to link up this useful work with
the Council's scheme.
The proposals for the provision of an adequate midwifery
service for the Borough were well advanced during the year,
and in connection therewith the new Borough Maternity
Hospital of twenty beds is expected to be ready for the
reception of patients at the beginning of 1921.*
Another useful addition to the Council's scheme was the
establishment of a fully-equipped Dental Clinic at the Plough
Road Centre. The clinic was opened in August, and has
already proved a very greatly appreciated feature of the
Maternity and Child Welfare Scheme.
*The Maternity Home was opened for the admission of lying-in cases
about the middle of February, 1981, the official opening ceremony taking
place on the 5th March, 1921.