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
Heston and Isleworth 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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helps when a mother is sent away for convalescent treatment, or has to go to hospital for treatment
or operation either before or after confinement. In special cases where the mother is still unfit
after 14 days the home help also would be allowed to remain for a longer period until the mother
is reasonably fit to carry on.
Grants of Milk.—-Arising out of consideration of the Report of the Advisory Committee
on Nutrition and the Circular from the Ministry of Health, the Milk Grant Scheme was extended
so as to provide milk in necessitous cases free or at a reduced rate to expectant mothers as from
the fourth month of pregnancy instead of during the last three months of pregnancy; also to
children up to the age ot five instead of up to the age of three, which had previously been the
limit for milk grants, unless the case was a very exceptional one and specially certified by the
Medical Officer. This resulted in an increased number of grants and increased expenditure on
this account.
Dealers supplying milk were also required to supply only efficiently pasteurised milk and
all were circularised to this effect.
The number of grants made during the year was 1315 against 1182 for the previous year.
OPHTHALMIA NEONATORUM, Year 1937.
| Cases. | Vision Unimpaired. | Vision Impaired. | Total Blindness. | Removed from District and Deaths. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notified. | Treated | |||||
| At Home. | In Hospital. | |||||
| 12 | 4 | 8 | 5 | — | — | 7 |
An agreement exists with the London County Council for the admission of Ophthalmia
neonatorum to St. Margaret's Hospital when necessary. One case was sent to this Hospital and
made a complete recovery.
NURSING HOMES.
The powers and duties of the Middlesex County Council under the Nursing Homes
Registration Act, 1927 (now under the Public Health Act, 1936), as regards the Borough of
Heston and Isleworth were delegated to the Borough Council as from 1st April.
There were at that time six registered Nursing Homes within the Borough. Two small
homes were closed down, one of these as a result of the keeper being appointed as a municipal
midwife.
An application was received from two midwives for the registration of a small new
Nursing Home. The premises were approved and a certificate of registration was issued.
The Inspector of Nursing Homes has kept all the Nursing Homes under review during the
year with satisfactory results.
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