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
Kensington 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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31
TELFORD ROAD BABY CLINIC.
This institution acts both as a Treatment Centre and Infant Welfare Centre, but it is not an
Infant Welfare Centre in the same sense as the other seven; nevertheless, much valuable work is
performed.
The following are the records for the year ending December 31st, 1923:—
| Number of sessions at which doctors attended for infant consultations | 151 |
| Number of sessions at which doctors attended for special ante-natal and post-natal consultations | 48 |
| Total number of individual mothers who attended during year | 152 |
| Total number of individual children who attended during year (Old) | 629 |
| ,, „ „ (New) | 668 |
| Total attendances at Centre of mothers for all purposes (excluding the accompanying of children) | 528 |
| Total attendances of children at Centre for all purposes | 9,496 |
| Number seen by doctor at consultations :— | |
| 1. Ante-natal mothers | 192 |
| 2. Post-natal mothers | 336 |
| 3. Children | 6,946 |
| Average number seen by doctor at consultations :— | |
| 1. Ante-natal mothers | 4 |
| 2. Post-natal mothers | 7 |
| 3. Children | 46 |
| Number of individual children weighed | 1,297 |
| Total weighings | 6,946 |
Collective instruction by lectures is not undertaken at Telford Road. Also, there is little home
visiting; in fact, no area is allotted to this unit, therefore any visiting carried out would be in the
district of one or other of the seven Welfare Centres, There is need of a Treatment Centre in
Kensington. If the Telford Road Authorities were to discontinue the use of the existing institution as
an Infant Welfare Centre for healthy babies and a scheme were arranged under which infants from
Welfare Centres requiring treatment could be referred, when suitable, to Telford Road and returned
to their respectiveWelfare Centres on completion of treatment, the Kensington Child Welfare
scheme would be a splendid example of what can be done by voluntary effort.
Under an arrangement with the County Council, certain minor defects and ailments
discovered in children at the school medical examinations are treated at this Clinic and much
useful work in this direction is being carried out.
LADBROKE ROAD BABY IN-PATIENT HOSPITAL.
This institution, which was opened in 1919, has 19 beds for the treatment of sub-acute and
chronic diseases.
Records for the year 1923 :—
| Number of infants in residence at commencement of year | 17 |
| Number of admissions during the year | 145 |
| Number of discharges during the year | 132 |
| Number of deaths during the year | 14 |
| Number in residence at end of year | 16 |
| Average duration of stay in hospital | 40 days |
This institution is becoming increasingly useful and much valuable work has been carried out
during the past year. The number of infants admitted in 1921 was 61, in 1922, 98, and in 1923,
145. The average duration of stay in hospital in 1921 was 58 days, in 1922, 46 days, and in 1923,
40 days.
On discharge of a patient from this institution, a report giving the particulars of the disease
from which the child has been suffering and the lines of treatment which should be followed after
discharge is sent to me, with the result that the Council's Women Health Officers are able to take
steps to secure in the home that treatment which close observation in hospital shows to be most
suited to the particular case. This is of particular importance in the treatment of sub-acute and
chronic diseases for which this Hospital is specially established.
As in previous years the Council made a grant of £200 to the Authorities of the Hospital towards
the maintenance for a further period of twelve months of two beds therein, to be placed at the
disposal of the Infant Welfare Centres serving the Borough, the grant to be subject to the same
conditions as in 1922, viz : that provision shall be made for the doctors in attendance at the
Centres to continue in the hospital, if they so desire, the supervision of the cases recommended by
them, and that the Medical Officer of Health shall continue a representative of the Council on the
Committee of Management and shall be furnished with the names and addresses of patients
admitted from within the Borough, together with the dates of their admission and discharge.
Although two beds are reserved for children recommended from the various Kensington Welfare
Centres, all the beds are available for children belonging to the Borough.