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
Islington 1921
Sixty-sixth annual report on the health and sanitary condition of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington
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1921J 8
"4. That the following scale of income be adopted in lieu of the scale contained in the scheme, and that no deduction other than rent be made from the total family income in order to arrive at the net income:—
| No. in Family. | Scale for Distribution of Free Milk. | Scale for Distribution at half-price. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 1 | 16 | 0 after deduction of rent | 18 | 0 after deduction of rent |
| 2 | 13 | 0 per head „ | 14 | 6 per head „ |
| 3 | 10 | 6 „ „ | 11 | 6 „ „ |
| 4 | 9 | 6 „ „ | 10 | 6 „ „ |
| 5 | 8 | 6 „ „ | 9 | 6 „ „ |
| 6 | 8 | 0 „ „ | 9 | 0 „ „ |
THE CONFERENCE ON SUPPLY OF MILK TO EXPECTANT AND
NURSING MOTHERS AND TO CHILDREN.
On the 17th June, 1921, a conference of representatives of Metropolitan Borough
Councils met at the Town Hall, Islington, to consider the question of milk supply schemes,
and the resolutions passed by the Conference were forwarded to the Ministry of Health.
The Conference strongly protested against the restrictions on the issue of free milk
to children under 5 years of age, and to expectant mothers (except during the last three
months of pregnancy) in accordance with the terms of the Ministry of Health's circular
No. 185 as being prejudicial to the welfare of many children belonging to necessitous
families. It considered that as the duties of Maternity and Child Welfare Committees are
mainly preventive in character it should not be necessary to withhold supplies from necessitous
children until the physical condition of those children has become sufficiently impaired
to warrant the issue of a medical certificate, and that supplies of milk should be granted
to necessitous expectant mothers for at least the last six months of pregnancy.
It was also of opinion that the action of the Ministry of Health was economically
unsound, as it would necessitate additional expenditure on remedial treatment in future
years.
A reply was received from the Ministry of Health to the effect that the Minister of
Health was aware of the heavy burden of expenditure incurred by local authorities at the
present time in distributing milk to necessitous expectant and nursing mothers
and to children, but that in the present need for economy in national expenditure he could
hold out no hope of an increase in the Government grant of 50 per cent., nor of any modification
in the conditions laid down in official circular No. 185 for the distribution of milk ;
also that the Minister had no power to refund amounts paid by local authorities for milk
supplied to the dependants of reservists and other men serving with the Colours beyond
the grant of 50 per cent, paid by the Ministry.
STATEMENT OF WORK PERFORMED BY THE VOLUNTARY
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE CENTRES:
North Islington Maternity and Child Welfare Centre.
Number of Expectant Mothers on books 388.
„ Attendances 1,095
„ Consultations held 98
Number of Babies attending (all ages) 1,786
„ ,, (under 1 year) 1,336
„ Attendances 12,945
„ Consultations and weighings 9,283