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
Wimbledon 1943
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]
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GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES.
FOR THE AREA.
laboratory Facilities.
, The Corporation have an arrangement with the Nelson Hospital for
the examination of pathological specimens sent by private medical
practitioners in the pathological laboratory attached to the Hospital.
Dr. Lever, the Pathologist to the Atkinson Morley E.M.S. Hospital, is
the Hon. Pathologist to the Nelson Hospital and undertakes this work.
The Corporation have also made arrangements with the Ministry of
Health for the examination of pathological specimens at the Emergency
Public Health Laboratory at Epson College and a considerable number of
specimens requiring special investigations are sent there.
In addition, the laboratory provided at the Health Centre is utilised
for the examination of pathological specimens from the Infectious
Diseases Hospital. This work is carried out by the staff of the Public
Health Department.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE .
The total number of visits paid by the Health Visitors during 1943
amounted to 9,365, the figure for the previous year being 7,334.
Details of the home visits carried out arc given below:-
| Number of Infants visited - first visits | 667 | |
| " " " " - revisits | 1,244 | |
| Number of Toddlers visited | 1,883 | |
| Ante-natal - first visits | 389 | |
| " - revisits | 72 | |
| Visits re Infant deaths | 6 | |
| " "Stillbirths | 6 | |
| " " Ophthalmia Neonatorum | 1 | |
| " " Puerperal Pyrexia | 4 | |
| " " Non-notifiable Infectious Diseases | 3 | |
| " Milk applications | 12 | |
| " " Foster Children | 1,229 | |
| " "Midwives | 7 | |
| Miscellaneous | 1,221 | |
| Total welfare visits | 6,744 | |
| Visits - School Medical Service. | 1,437 | |
| Tuberculosis - Homo visits | 32 | |
| Visits to Nursing Homes | 21 | |
| Other visits | 46 | |
| Ineffectual visits | 1,083 | |
| 2,619 | ||
| Total visits | 9,363 |
The Maternity and Child Welfare Centres remained open throughout
the year. At Pelham Road Centre two sessions per week were held. The
average attendance at the Tuesday sessions was 76.36 and at the Friday
sessions 74.18. At the Cottenham Park Centre the average weekly attendance
was 52.32. The average attendance at the Wandle Park Centre was
47.52. The attendances at each of the Centres were well maintained and
in order to satisfy the needs of the Wimbledon Park area, a Centre was
opened at the St. Luke's Church Hall on 9th April, 1943. The average
attendance at this Centre, to the end of tho year was 68.60.
Ante-natal Clinic.
The Pelham Road Ante-natal Clinic continued to be held on Monday
and Saturday each week, the average attendances being 19.76 and 11.72
respectively . The Ante-natal Clinic at Wandle Park was held every other
Thursday. The average attendance was 7.81,
Midwifery and Maternity Services - Midwives Act, 1936.
A service of whole-time domiciliary midwives is provided by the
Wimbledon District Nursing and Midwifery Association under an agreement
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