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 1959

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY
The duty to provide adequate domiciliary midwifery service is discharged through the
Council's own midwives and those employed by district nursing associations and hospitals.

Table: Table (i)—Staff District midwives employed by

Table (i)—Staff District midwives employed by

19551956195719581959
The Council9692878789
District Nursing Associations (including supervisory staff)3446444845
Hospitals4444394046
174182170175180

Table: Table (ii)—Domiciliary confinements attended

Table (ii)—Domiciliary confinements attended

19551956195719581959
Doctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not present
No.%No.%
(a)Doctor not booked L.C.C. D.N.A. Hospital district2453,7291933,5001723,3252012,8992322.12,76125.3
541,745681,790681,624751,577580.51,36012.5
221,776251,944291,711231,693410.41,57414.4
3213217,2502867,2342696,6602996,1693313.05,69552.2
7,5717,5206,9296,4686,02655.2
(b)Doctor booked L.C.C. D.N.A. Hospital district7591,0428471,2939961,5481,1351,9661,34012.32,40522.0
1381571341971522941823891941.85054.6
98133103148681961442251321.23132.9
9951,3321,0841,6381,2162,0381,4612,5801,66615.33,22329.5
2,3272,7223,2544,0414,88944.8
Total9,89810,24210,18310,50910,915100.0

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During the past five years there has been a marked increase in the number of home
confinements in which a doctor has been booked for maternity medical services, the 1959
total of such cases, 4,889 (45 per cent.) being proportionately nearly double that of 1955
when the number was 2,327 (24 per cent.) If hospital district practice is excluded, the
figure for 1959 is 50 per cent.

Table: Table (iii)

Table (iii)

19551956195719581959
Still-births per 1,000 total births8.88.88.58.49.2
Premature babies479509501482555
Per cent. of live births4.85.05.04.65.1