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
London County Council 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Table (ii)—Referring Agency
| No. | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital | 1,115 | 37.5 |
| National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child and other Voluntary Agencies | 571 | 19.2 |
| Health, Welfare and other Local Authority departments | 544 | 18.3 |
| Clergy, church workers | 334 | 11.2 |
| Employers, friends | 134 | 4.5 |
| Personal application | 98 | 3.3 |
| National Assistance Board, Employment Exchanges, etc. | 19 | 0.6 |
| Any other | 160 | 5.4 |
| 2,975 | 1000 |
Table (iii)—Nationality—Normal residence
| London (Admin. County) | Elsewhere | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| British | 1,300 | 439 | 1,739 |
| Eire | 364 | 319 | 683 |
| West Indian | 242 | 136 | 378 |
| European | 52 | 34 | 86 |
| Other | 46 | 43 | 89 |
| 2,004 | 971* | 2,975 |
* 693 were pregnant on arrival in London.
Table (iv)—Care of babies three months after birth (Babies born between 1.10.57 and 30.9.58)
| No. | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Actually in mother's care | 1,095 | 51.0 |
| Adopted or placed for adoption | 507 | 23.7 |
| Mother responsible for and has access to child | 362 | 16.8 |
| Mother and child moved away | 82 | 3.8 |
| In care of local authority | 46 | 2.1 |
| Died | 34 | 1.6 |
| Miscellaneous | 22 | 1.0 |
| 2,148 | 100.0 |
These babies resulted from the pregnancies of 2,760 women—in the case of 522 the
result of pregnancy was unknown, and in the remainder the result was a miscarriage,
or still-birth. Of the 2,760 women, 1,137 (about 41 per cent) were reported as
admitted to mother and baby homes before birth of their babies.
The total number of illegitimate births in London (Administrative County) during
1958 was 5,343 and the number reported as admitted to Mother and Baby Homes
represents about 21 per cent of this total.
Child life protection
By arrangement with the Children's Officer responsibility for the visiting of foster
children and the inspection of premises in which the children are living, under Part XIII
. of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, as amended by Part V of the Children Act,
1948, was undertaken by health visitors designated as ' child protection visitors
The number of children so supervised on 31 March was 703, an increase of 44 on
1957.
Marriage Guidance
Grants totalling .£6,500 for the year ending 31 March, 1959, were made to the
London Marriage Guidance Council, the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council and the
Family Discussion Bureau.
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