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 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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SECTION B. — HEALTH SERVICES.
Nursing in the Home. There are three Associations carrying
on this work in the area, all affiliated to the County Nursing
Association, the County Council now being responsible for this
service. Details of the work carried out by these Associations
during 1948 are as follows:—
(1) The Merton District Nursing Association employs one
nurse for general nursing, no midwifery or maternity nursing being
undertaken. The district this Association serves is approximately
the ecclesiastical parish of St. Mary's. A total of 305
cases involving 2,246 visits were attended during the year and of
these, 25 cases were children under 5 years of age, to whom
84 visits were made.
(2) The St. Helier District Nursing Association employs one
full-time and two part-time nurses for general nursing. No midwifery
or maternity nursing is undertaken. Its activities cover
the whole of the Merton and Morden portion of the St. Helier
Estate and, in addition, that part situated in the Carlshalton
Urban District lying to the north of Reigate Avenue.
During the year 192 cases were dealt with by the St. Helier
District Nursing Association, 7 of these being children under 5
years of age. The total number of visits made was 4,697, of
which 24 were in respect of children under 5 years.
(3) The Wimbledon District Nursing Association serves
Wimbledon and the western part of this district. Two full-time
nurses and one part-time nurse are employed for general nursing
in Merton and Morden.
The figures relating to cases and visits n this district during the year are as follows: —
| Cases | Visits | |
|---|---|---|
| Children under 5 years | 39 | 167 |
| Other cases | 373 | 6,303 |
| 412 | 6,470 |
Laboratory Facilities. The routine laboratory work for the
district is undertaken by the Nelson Hospital.
The scope of the pathological work undertaken during the period from 1st January to 4th July, 1948, is as follows: —
| Examinations | No. performed | Positive result |
|---|---|---|
| Swabs for Diphtheria Bacilli | 108 | 1 |
| Sputum for Tubercle Bacilli | 14 | 1 |
| Faeces | 3 | — |
| Blood for Widal Test | 1 | — |
| Urine | 2 | — |
| Rectal | 2 | — |