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 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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For the splendid services rendered, the Council paid to the Association in 1930 a grant of £200.
A trained nurse is employed by the Golborne infant welfare centre to undertake home
nursing of expectant and nursing mothers and infants in the very poor area allocated to that centre.
In order to avoid overlapping with the nurses of the Kensington District Nursing Association, the
work of the Golborne home nurse has been mapped out by the honorary secretary of the Golborne
centre, the superintendent of the Nursing Association and myself, and the rules laid down have
been found to work quite satisfactorily. Certain types of cases have been attended by the Golborne
nurse and others by the nurses of the Association, and as a result of close co-operation and
consultation, there has been no trouble whatever in deciding the sphere of work for the staff of
each organisation.
The cases attended and visits paid by the Golborne home nurse during the year are given in the following table :—
| Cases attended. | Visits paid. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 236 | |||
| Children under 5 years of age | 262 | 1,755 | ||
| Totals | 315 | 1,991 | ||
| Bronchitis | 34 | 229 | ||
| Ear discharges | 14 | 253 | ||
| Minor ailments | 146 | 989 | ||
| Measles | 42 | 284 | ||
| Totals | 236 | 1,755 | ||
MIDWIFERY ARRANGEMENTS.
The borough is well served in this respect. The Queen Charlotte's Hospital authorities
maintain a District Nurses' Home in Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington, and during the year
members of the staff thereat conducted 828 confinements, of which 696 were in Kensington
homes. The Borough Council maintain a maternity home with ten beds and the London County
Council also have at St. Mary Abbots Hospital a ward of ten beds for the confinement of poor
women.
The number of confinements dealt with by these three organisations, together with those
taking place in outlying hospitals, leaves but a comparatively small number to be attended by
private doctors and midwives in the homes.
LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL INSTITUTIONS.
On the 1st April, when the Local Government Act, 1929, came into operation, the Kensington
Institution and St. Mary Abbots Hospital were taken over by the London County Council from the
Board of Guardians, and I am indebted to the Clerk of the late Board of Guardians and to the
Medical Officer of the London County Council for the following particulars of work done at
these institutions during the year 1930:—
| Number of beds available for male adults | 362 |
| Number of beds available for female adults | 434 |
| Number of adult admissions during the year ended 31st December, 1930 | 1,710 |
| (Elderly male casuals, were also admitted to the Institution during the year, the toted number of these admissions amounting to 1,794). | |
| Average daily number of adult admissions during the year ended 31st December, 1930 | 4.6 |
| Average daily number of admissions of casuals during the year ended 3ist December, 1930 | 4.9 |
| Number of beds available for children | 45 |
| Types of cases (children) admitted | |
| (c) Children for transfer to schools, etc. | |
| Number of children's admissions during the year ended 31st December, 1930 | 509 |
| Average daily number of children's admissions | 1.3 |
| Last ascertained cost per head at the Institution | 2s.11.24d. per day |