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
City of Westminster 1927
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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81
1, Pimlico Road. 15, Bessborough St. 30, Page St. 9, Frith St.
446 354 303 295
The health visitors attached to those centres visit the homes for
the purpose of supplementing the instructions of the medical officers,
and of advising as to how those instructions should be carried out. Home
visiting is of prime importance in maternity and child welfare, and its
place cannot be taken by teaching groups of mothers at the centre. In
the home the visitor, by seeing the actual conditions, can appreciate any
difficulties with which the mother may be contending, and much can be
cleared up in the course of a quiet talk. Visits of inquiry are necessary
in cases of ophthalmia, measles, and other infectious diseases. The
following table shows the number of visits paid in connection with the
four centres:—
Table VIII.
| Pimlico Road. | Bess-borough Street. | Frith Street. | Page Street. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-natal— | |||||
| First visits | 191 | 220 | 89 | 177 | 677 |
| Other visits | 367 | 220 | 200 | 296 | 1,083 |
| Children under 1 year of age— | |||||
| First visits | 482 | 371 | 272 | 301 | 1,426 |
| Other visits | 1,609 | 1,252 | 1,407 | 1,357 | 5,625 |
| Children over 1 and under 5 years- | |||||
| Visits | 2,208 | 2,137 | 2,932 | 2,951 | 10,228 |
| Death enquiries, still-births, &c | 56 | 37 | 29 | 19 | 141 |
| Infectious diseases | 143 | 114 | 93 | 48 | 398 |
The Council's midwife paid 678 visits before, and 376 after, confinements
which are not included in the above Table.
Infant Clinics.—These are held at the following centres at the times
mentioned:—
Council's Centres—
1, Pimlico Road—2 p.m. Wednesday. 2 p.m. Friday.
15, Bessborough Street—2 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday
(combined with ante-natal clinic).
9, Frith Street—2 p.m. Wednesday.
Westminster Health Society—
30, Page Street—2 p.m. Tuesday. 2 p.m. Friday.
It will be noted from the following table of attendances that the
work at the centres is steadily increasing, and that a greater number of
new infants arc being brought to the centres. The average attendance
per session has increased, as also have the total attendances. The
comparative totals since 1922 are also shown:—