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
Merton and Morden 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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Midwives. One midwife is appointed by the District
Council under the Surrey County Council's scheme for a salaried
midwifery service. The fees fixed by the County Council are:—
As maternity nurse 35/-
As midwife 40/-
Provision is made for a reduction in the fee in necessitous cases.
The following figures indicate the work undertaken during the year by the Council's midwife
| Cases conducted: | Primip. | Multip. | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) As midwife | Live | 8 | 38 | 46 |
| Still | — | — | — | |
| (b) As maternity nurse | Live | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Still | — | — | — | |
| 12 | 43 | 55 | ||
| Visits made: | ||||
| By midwife | Ante-natal | 436 | ||
| During confinement | 928 | |||
| To midwife | Ante-natal | 218 | ||
| Post-natal | 252 | |||
| 1,834 | ||||
| Medical Aid Forms sent:—10 | ||||
| Discharging Eyes | 2 | |||
| Infant Jaundice | 1 | |||
| Infant Ringworm | 1 | |||
| Ringworm (mother) | 1 | |||
| Rupture of Perineum | 5 | |||
Percentage of total midwife's cases which attended the
Council's ante-natal clinics—100%.
According to notices received by the Surrey County Council
there are eighteen midwives practising in the district, of
whom five were salaried midwives appointed under the County
Scheme and eight members of the staff of the Nelson Hospital.
Voluntary Helpers. It is annually a source of gratification
to be able to record our indebtedness to our voluntary helpers.
They have always been a feature of our clinic organisation, and
while from time to time we have moments of acute anxiety as
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