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
Hammersmith 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]
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24
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
SERVICES.
In July, 1935, I recommended a reorganisation of the
existing Maternity and Child Welfare Services so as to coordinate
the work of this department and secure greater
co-operation between the Borough Council as the Local
Authority and Voluntary Organisations.
The Council appointed two whole-time women Assistant
Medical Officers to act under my direction, and on 1st April,
1936, these two Officers took over the work formerly carried
on by six doctors, who devoted part of their time to the
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics in the Borough.
As far as can be judged in the short period under review,
the new scheme has proved to be excellent in every way.
The Medical Officers are now in close touch with the
Medical Officer of Health, the administrative Public Health
staff and the voluntary organisations. There is promise of
great improvement in the health of the mothers and young
children following the changes made.
The figures tabulated below, indicate in some measure the extent of the ground to be covered on the one hand, and on the other the success of the work accomplished in the interests of Maternity and Child Welfare:—
| Number of Births registered during the year | 2,266 |
| Corrected Number of Births | 1,922 |
| These figures represent a Birth-rate per 1,000 of the population of the Borough of | 15.1 |
| Corrected Number of Deaths of Infants under one year, of whom died under one week | 116 |
| Legitimate Infants 107, or 60 per 1,000 Births. | |
| Illegitimate Infants 9, or 65 per 1,000 Births. | |
| Infant Mortality Bate per 1,000 Births | 60 |