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
St Pancras 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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37
The Borough Council pays a subsidy to certain hospitals for the admission of cases to
their maternity wards, and also pays a subsidy for cases attended at home by midwives on the
staffs of certain institutions. No subsidy is paid for cases attended by medical students.
The following table gives the names of the hospitals, etc., and the amount paid during the past year:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Free Hospital | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Queen Charlotte's Hospital | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| City of London Hospital | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Middlesex Hospital | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| University College Hospital | 64 | 10 | 0 |
| Maternity Nursing Association | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | £118 | 10 | 0 |
The corresponding grants for the previous three years were: £145 15s. 0d.,
£123, and £124 5s. Od.
Sterilised Maternity Outfits.
During 1933 a scheme was brought into operation, in association with the
Voluntary Committees, for the provision of sterilised maternity outfits. Arrangements were
made by which these could be obtained either at about cost price, or in necessitous cases below
cost price, according to individual circumstances.
Home Helps.
A subsidy is paid by the Borough Council to a Voluntary Committee for the provision
of Home Helps.
This term is used to describe women who have received a certain amount of training
in domestic work, including the care of young children. They are provided for necessitous
families where the mother is incapacitated on account of sickness or child-birth.
The management is in the hands of a Voluntary Committee, on which the Council is
represented by two members. Dr. Pritchard attends Committee meetings as Liaison Officer.
An annual grant of £250 is made by the Borough Council for use in respect of
maternity cases only.
Three permanent "Helps" were employed throughout the year, and five temporary
"Helps" for emergency cases.
96 cases were dealt with during the year, 90 being maternity and 6 sickness cases.
Puerperal Fever and Pyrexia.
The Borough Council provides Consultants' services., bacteriological investigation and
skilled nursing in connection with cases developing Puerperal Fever or Puerperal Pyrexia.
Hospital accommodation is also available for these cases.