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
Paddington 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Paddington, Metropolitan Borough of]
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30
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE.
The staff engaged in maternity and child welfare work consists of 8 whole time Health
Visitors, 1 part-time Health Visitor, 9 part-time Medical Officers, 2 part-time Masseuses,
and 1 part-time Clerical Assistant.
Health Visitors.
The duties of these officers are:—
(1) To visit the homes of children from birth up to the age of 5 years where considered
necessary.
(2) To make enquiries concerning stillbirths and deaths of infants and young children.
(3) To visit and give advice to parents in cases of ophthalmia of the new-born, infective
enteritis and other important diseases.
(4) To investigate all cases of puerperal fever and puerperal pyrexia.
(5) To attend the maternity and infant consultations at the Centres provided by the
Paddington School for Mothers.
The home visiting work performed by the Health Visitors during the year is summarised in the appended table.
Health Visiting.
| First Visits to children under 1 year of age | 1,934 |
| Revisits „ „ „ | 6,239 |
| 8,173 | |
| Visits to children between the ages of 1 and 5 years | 11,258 |
| First visits to expectant mothers | 609 |
| Revisits „ „ „ | 534 |
| 1,143 | |
| Other Visits— Sickness (including Puerperal Fever, Puerppral Pyrexia, Ophthalmia Neonatorum and Infantile Diarrhoea) | 462 |
| Miscellaneous (including 3,398 ineffective calls) | 11,556 |
| 12,018 |
Maternity and Child Welfare Centres.
These are provided by the Paddington School for Mothers, which is a voluntary society
financed by voluntary contributions and by grants from the Paddington Borough Council.
An annual contribution of £500 is made by the Council to the Paddington School for
Mothers. This is provided for in the Scheme made by the Minister of Health under Section
101 (6) of the Local Government Act, 1929.
The following is a brief account of the activities of the Paddington School for Mothers:—
Headquarters : 232, Harrow Road, W.2.
Established 1910, when the Paddington Health Society was divided into two distinct
bodies for dealing with Tuberculosis and Infant Welfare, the latter being the Paddington
School for Mothers.
Centres (as in December, 1932).
232, Harrow Road, W.2.—Nine good rooms warmed by gas fires, bath room and
basement.
Two Infant Consultations weekly.—Tuesday, 2.15. Medical Officer, Dr. 0. Stuart
Thompson. Thursday, 2.15. Medical Officer, Dr. J. Thoresby Jones.
Area served:—Parts of Church, Harrow Road, Westbourne and Maida Vale Wards.
One Maternity (Ante- and Post-Natal) Consultation weekly.—Monday, 10 a.m. Medical
Officer, Dr. E. Dorothy Fenwick.
Area served:—South Paddington.