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
Willesden 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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Medical Aid
| 1953 | 1952 | 1951 | 1950 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) No. of Domiciliary Cases in which Medical Aid was summoned:— (i) Where the Medical Practitioner had arranged to provide the patient with maternity medical services under the National Health Service | 55 | 56 | 48 | 106 |
| (ii) Others | 39 | 54 | 66 | 42 |
| (b) For cases in Institutions | — | — | — | — |
| Totals | 94 | 110 | 114 | 148 |
Administration of Gas and Air Analgesia by Domiciliary Midwives
| Domiciliary Mid-wives employed directly by local health authority | Domiciliary Mid-wives employed under Sec. 23 by voluntary organisations as agents of local health authority | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cases in which gas and air was administered by midwives in domiciliary practice during the year:— | ||||
| (a) When doctor was not present at delivery | 300 | — | 300 | |
| (b) When doctor was present at delivery | 28 | 11 | 39 | |
| Number of cases in which pethidine was administered in domiciliary practice during the year:— | ||||
| (a) When doctor was not present at delivery | 121 | — | 121 | |
| (b) When doctor was present at delivery | 13 | 11 | 24 | |
| Totals: | 1953 | 462 | 22 | 484 |
| 1952 | 320 | 42 | 362 | |
| 1951 | 263 | 14 | 291† | |
| 1950 | 254 | 26 | 330† | |
| 1949 | 386 | — | 386 | |
†Figure for 1951 includes 14 cases dealt with by Queen Charlotte's Midwives
„ „ 1950 „ 50 „ „ „ „ „ „ „
HEALTH VISITING (Section 24)
Under the National Health Service Act, 1946, it is the duty of every local health authority to make
provision in their area for the visiting of persons in their homes by health visitors to give advice on the
care of young children, expectant or nursing mothers and persons suffering from illness.
The health visitors are now concerned with the health of the whole family and work together
with general practitioners, staffs of hospitals, children's officers, welfare officers, sanitary inspectors and
other social workers. They also attend at Maternity and Child Welfare clinics and at schools for routine
Hygiene inspections, and medical inspections with the Assistant Medical Officers. They give health talks in
schools and assist in carrying out enquiries in connection with special national surveys organised by the
Medical Research Council, Ministry of Health and other bodies.
The health visitors work from the three main clinics and prior to the 1946 Act, Willesden was
divided into 22 districts, one for each health visitor. It is now desirable that the number of districts be
increased because the duties of health visitors have been widened under the Act. This however, is impossible
at the present time owing to the general shortage of health visitors.
The establishment of health visitors for the Willesden part of the area is 30 but at the end of the year
there were only 13.1/11 health visitors working in Willesden. To assist the health visitors in their work
temporary clinic nurses are employed; their duties are mainly, assisting at the various clinic sessions, attendance
at the schools for routine hygiene inspections and medical inspections. At the end of the year 9-8/11
temporary clinic nurses were employed in Willesden, making the total number of health visitors and clinic
nurses 22.9/11.