London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
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]
This page requires JavaScript
Midwives. The services of the midwife appointed by the
District Council under the County Council's scheme for a salaried
midwifery service were continued until 5th July, when, with
other officers of the staff, she was transferred to the staff of the
County Council. This service has since become a free one and
no charge is made for the services of a midwife. Prior to the
appointed day the scale of fees laid down by the County Council
were as follows:—
As maternity nurse 35/-
As midwife 40/-
with provision for a reduction in the fee in necessitous cases.
The following details of work undertaken by the Midwife relate only to the period from 1st January to 4th July, 1948.
| Cases conducted : | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) As midwife | Live | 13 | 15 | 28 |
| Still | — | — | — | |
| (b) As maternity nurses | I ive | 1 | — | 1 |
| Still | — | — | — | |
| 14 | 15 | 29 | ||
| Visits made: | ||||
| By midwife | Ante-natal | 206 | ||
| During confinement | 530 | |||
| To midwife | Ante-natal | 154 | ||
| Post-natal | 129 | |||
| 1,019 | ||||
Medical Aid Forms sent—10
| Delayed labour | 1 |
| Dicharging Eyes | 1 |
| Jaundiced infant | 1 |
| Premature infant | 1 |
| Rigidity of Perineum | 1 |
| Rupture of Perineum | 4 |
| Thrombo-Phlebitis | 1 |
Percentage of total midwife's cases which attended the
Council's ante-natal clinics—100%.
From notices received by the Surrey County Council there
were seventeen midwives practising in the district, of whom five
were salaried midwives appointed under the County Scheme and
nine membres of the staff of the Nelson Hospital.
Voluntary Workers. Up to the present time in Merton and
Morden we have always had the help in our Clinics of a
voluntary band of workers. From time to time we have feared
that the supply might cease and at times they have not been
39