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
Mitcham 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Mitcham]
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The list of mothers with dates of their stay at the home is shown in the following table, each mother being referred to by her reference letter:—
| Mother. | With or Without Baby | From which Centre. | Date of Stay. | No. of Weeks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs. S | Yes | Parish Room | Jan. 6—Jan. 20 | 2 |
| „ T | „ | Sherwood Park | Jan. 20—Feb. 3 | 2 |
| „ U | „ | Western Road | Feb. 10—-Feb. 24 | 2 |
| „ V | „ | St. Barnabas | Feb. 24—Mar. 10 | 2 |
| „ W | No | St. Barnabas | Mar. 10—Mar. 24 | 2 |
| X | Yes | Meopham Road | Mar. 24—Apr. 21 | 4 |
| ,, Y | „ | Western Road | Apr. 21—May 5 | 2 |
| „ Z | Toddler.. | St. Barnabas | July 28—Aug. 11 | 2 |
| ,, Aa | Yes | Western Road | Aug. 25—Sep. 8 | 2 |
| „ Bb | „ | Parish Room | Oct. 20—Nov. 3 | 2 |
| ,, Cc | „ | Cavendish Road | Nov. 17—Dec. 15 | 4 |
| ,, Dd | „ | Sherwood Park | Dec. 8—Dec. 21 | 2 |
As will be observed, we were able to send mothers to the
home for five months from January 6 to May 5 without a break,
with the exception of one week. Mrs. T. should have remained
there three weeks, but was obliged to return home unexpectedly
on February 3.
From May 6 to August 4 the home was closed to babies
because of an outbreak of illness which affected two babies, both
of whom were removed to hospital. Towards the end of this
period a few mothers were admitted without babies, and finally
it was decided to take in one or two toddlers with the mothers.
We therefore sent a mother with a toddler on July 28.
The Executive Committee of the National Association for
Maternity and Child Welfare decided to close the home on December
22 because it was found to be impossible to run the home on
a satisfactory financial basis. This was a matter of deep regret,
as the home supplied a very real need in providing a much
needed rest to many overworked and debilitated mothers,