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
Tottenham 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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95
In spite of the low number of home confinements four pupil
midwives were constantly in training throughout the year, These
pupils are directed from the Alexandra Maternity Home with which
the domiciliary midwifery service works in close co-operation.
Analgesia of all available types is now in common use and it
is the exception for a mother not to receive this type of relief,
Three midwives were sent for one week s residential refresher
course during the year.
Transport for midwives has improved and five midwives now use
cars with very great benefit to the service.
The following table shows an analysis of the midwives' work:
| No. of deliveries attended | 509 |
| No, of visits hiade | 8 846 |
| No. of hospital confinements discharged before 14th day | 38 |
| No. of visits made | 354 |
| No. of cases in which medical aid was summoned | 143 |
| No. of cases in which gas and air analgesia was administered | 400 |
| No. of cases in which pethidine was administered | 265 |
| No. of cases in which trichloroethylene was administered | 33 |
HEALTH VISITING SERVICE
(SECTION 24)
The Report of the working party on the field of work, training
and recruitment of health visitors published during the year gives
Local Health Authorities a clear guide as to the requirements of
the service and the position of the health visitor as "truly a
medico- social worker playing a full part in both preventive medicine
and social action.
The recommended average case load of one health visitor to
4,300 population is one of a number of important recommendations
and conclusions reached by the working party which have so far not
been attained in this Area, Case loads in this Area are approximately
1 - 6 000 of the population.
This heavy case load makes a considerable demand on the time
of health visitors who deal with emergency home visits visits for
hospital reports; visits to the aged and other special groups, the
follow-up of premature infants special investigations as well as
routine visits, and routine clinic work, resulting in more selective