London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Coulsdon and Purley 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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been retained at the majority of the hospitals from 14 to 10 days. This has
resulted in a greater number, although not a larger proportion of the local
births taking place at Redhill County Hospital.
The following table shows the percentage of births confined by various agencies in 1939, 1940, 1945 and 1946:—
| Year. | Nursing Homes. | Midwives. | County Hospitals. | Purley Hospital. | London Hospitals. | Number of births registered. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council | Others. | Redhill. | Others. | |||||
| 1939 | 30 | 12 | 30 | 13 | – | 14 | 1 | 762 |
| 1940 | 24 | 15.5 | 23.5 | 14 | 1.5 | 20.5 | 1 | 626 |
| 1945 | 35 | 8.5 | 12 | 23.5 | – | 19.5 | 1.5 | 750 |
| 1946 | 36 | 11 | 13.5 | 22.5 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 1,065 |
It will be noted that the domiciliary midwives have this year dealt
with a greater proportion of the births in spite of the phenomenal increase
in their number.
Home Help Service.
The Council instituted a Home Help Service in 1920 but until 1944
assistance was limited to maternity cases.
Only one permanent Home Help was employed from 1920 to 1941
with occasional part-time assistance. During the second half of 1945 the
number employed was increased to at least 17 and it became necessary
to employ a part-time paid Organiser to relieve the Senior Health Visitor.
During 1946 the work expanded very considerably and the number
employed varied from 14 to 26, which number has since been exceeded.
The number of cases assisted increased from 31 maternity cases in
1938 to totals of 142 in 1945 and 268 in 1946. The latter represents 171
maternity and 97 other cases who were helped owing to sickness in the
family, or old age, the latter being unable otherwise to cope with their
domestic affairs. It was only practicable to aid the majority for a period
of 2 to 3 weeks, but in exceptional circumstances the period was extended,
occasionally very considerably.
It is impossible to summarise the assistance rendered in a short
section of a report of this type, or even to illustrate the very appreciable
benefit it has meant to many residents. Suffice it to say without fear of
contradiction from well informed and unbiassed sources that this form of
service has been amply justified and is one of which all concerned can be
proud. It is unfortunate that the charge for the service, which has to
include overheads, must inevitably cause financial strain to some families,
with undesirable limitation of the period during which aid is sought, or
even the rejection of this assistance in cases for which it is really needed.
A sliding scale has been devised which assists those in poorer financial
circumstances, and a quite generous attempt has been made to extend
modified benefits over a wide range of incomes.
It was also regrettable that all legitimate appeals for assistance
could not be met owing to the limited number of Home Helps employed.
The Organiser, however, did extremely well in spreading the available
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