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

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Willesden 1953

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]

This page requires JavaScript

Table: Ante-Natal Clinics

Ante-Natal Clinics

ClinicNo of sessionsNo. of new casesTotal attendancesAverage attendance per session
A.N.P.N.A.N.P.N.
Kilburn151492652,0886514.3
Willesden152447502,4265216.3
Stonebridge183584512,8895016.0
Cricklewood50173808019918.0
Neasden52154569805619.9
Totals 19535881,8503029,18432216.2
19526221,7083779,07339815.2
19516071,7043078,63331014.7
19506081,6613558,89535615.2
19496501,59547412,32266920.0

Text

Copy text to clipboard

Infant Welfare Clinics
Infant Welfare Sessions are held on five afternoons a week at the three main clinics, and on two
afternoons a week at -the two Church Hall Clinics. Assistant Medical Officers and Health Visitors give
advice to mothers on the feeding, hygiene and general management of infants and young children. Where
medical treatment is indicated, the General Practitioner is informed by the Assistant Medical Officer.
Immunisation against diphtheria and whooping cough is carried out by the Assistant Medical Officers
at the clinics before the child is a year old; and a birthday greeting card is sent to every child on the first and
second birthday, inviting mothers to bring their children to the clinic for a routine yearly examination and
a tuberculin patch test.
It was anticipated that when the National Health Service Act, 1946 came into force on 5th July,
1948 there would be a decline in the attendances at Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics, but this has not
been the experience in this district.
Of the total births notified the Percentage of Infants under One Year of Age who attended foe
the first time during the year was :
1947 66%
1950 81%
1951 80.7%
1952 74.7%
1953 90.3%

Table: Infant Welfare Clinics

Infant Welfare Clinics

ClinicNo. of SessionsNo. of 1st attendances under one year oldNo. of AttendancesTotal AttendancesSeen by DoctorAverage attendance per session
Under 11—22—5
Kilburn3036896,7111,0478188,5764,82128.3
Willesden4086317,5431,2038229,5685,88423.4
Stonebridge3416126,9468171,1438,9064,85926.1
Cricklewood1012583,4616744144,5491,66745.0
Neasden1012474,2927744435,5091,68154.5
Totals 19531,2542,43728,9534,5153,64037,10818,91229.6
19521,4131,97926,4527,06133,51319,24923.7
19511,5321,93025,7687,48433,25218,37721.7
19501,6072,16027,2287,69134,91922,30321.7
19491,6262,12029,6668,91538,58122,90623.7

Text

Copy text to clipboard

MIDWIFERY SERVICE (SECTION 23)
At the beginning of 1953 there were six Midwives employed direct by the County Council, and two
Midwives acting as Maternity Nurses employed by the Willesden District Nursing Association. During
the year two Midwives and one Maternity Nurse left, two Midwives commenced (one of whom has since
left) and the number employed at the end of the year was five Midwives and one Maternity Nurse. In
addition, four or five pupil Midwives work in Willesden for three months each, as part of their second
period training for the Central Midwives Board Examination. They are attached to Midwives who are
approved District Midwife Teachers.
In 1953 Midwives attended 435 confinements, 357 as Midwives and 78 as Maternity Nurses; they
administered Gas and Air Analgesia in 77-9 per cent, of the 435 mothers; 33-3 per cent, of all mothers had
pethidine, some of whom had Gas and Air Analgesia as well. They sought medical aid in 94 cases. They
also paid 260 visits to 43 midwifery cases who were discharged from hospital before the 14th day of
puerperium.