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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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12
Professional Nursing in the Home.
As in past years, the Kensington District Nursing Association continued to carry out
professional nursing in the homes of the poor. The number of cases nursed during 1937 was
1,941 and the number of visits paid was 46,646.
The following is a table of cases attended and visits paid by nurses of the association on behalf of the council from the 1st January to the 31st December, 1937:—
| Cases. | Visits. | |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity cases | 48 | 934 |
| Miscarriages | 16 | 211 |
| Pneumonia (5 years of age and over) | 34 | 436 |
| ,, (under 5 years of age) | 25 | 456 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum and other inflammations of the eyes of newly-born children | 10 | 193 |
| Influenza (5 years of age and over) | 55 | 593 |
| „ (under 5 years of age) | 3 | 47 |
| Enteritis and diarrhœa | 139 | 1,408 |
| Tuberculosis (5 years of age and over) | 13 | 1,595 |
| Measles (5 years of age and over) | 2 | 27 |
| ,, (under 5 years of age) | 5 | 39 |
| ,, and pneumonia (5 years of age and over) | 34 | 436 |
| „ ,, (under 5 years of age) | 25 | 456 |
| Whooping cough (5 years of age and over) | — | — |
| ,, „ (under 5 years of age) | 7 | 168 |
| Chicken-pox (5 years of age and over) | — | — |
| ,, (under 5 years of age) | 1 | 15 |
| Acute rheumatism | 10 | 178 |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 1 | 4 |
| Scarlet fever | 1 | 3 |
| Pemphigus | 2 | 32 |
| Totals | 431 | 7,231 |
For the services rendered, the council paid to the association in 1937 a grant of £325.
The Princess Beatrice Hospital.
The present accommodation is 81 beds. The hospital when completed will provide an
additional 49 beds, making a total of 130 beds, a nurses' home, a post-mortem and pathological
department, administration offices, etc.
The work performed at the hospital during 1937 was as follows:—
In-patients.
(а) General wards 1,314
(b) Private wards 294
Out-patients.
Total number of new out-patients 12,885
,, ,, ,, out-patients' attendances 62,991
Number of casualties 5,732
Other treatments.
Number of operations—major 1,036
minor 833—1,869
Dental cases 2,188
Massage 4,901
Light treatments 1,051
Superficial therapy 1,067
Patients X-rayed 2,601
Ante-natal clinic and maternity ward.
Total number of attendances 1,641
Number of patients admitted to maternity ward 318
The Princess Louise Kensington Hospital for Children.
This institution meets the medical and surgical needs of the children in North Kensington
and adjacent districts. In addition to a large out-patient department, there is an in-patient
department of 75 beds. The hospital is a recognised training school for nurses.
There are X-ray, dental, ophthalmic and massage departments and a fully equipped operating
theatre.