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 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Table (i)—
| 1938 | 1960 | |
|---|---|---|
| Institutional births | 45,561 (69%) | 55,959 (83%) |
| Domiciliary births | 20,757 (31%) | 11,363 (17%) |
| 66,318 | 67,322 |
Council midwives in 1960 had an average case load of 72. The overall average case load
for all midwives, including those in hospital district practice, was 60.
Hospitals are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain district services of their own;
in 1960 St. Bartholomew's hospital requested the Council to take over its district commitments
and 11 hospital districts now remain in operation.
table (ii)—
| Hospital | No. of midwives | Place of ante-natal care (Hospital or Councils A.N. clinic) | No. of deliveries in 1960 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Lying.in | 3 | Hospital and A.N. clinic | 202 |
| Guy's | 4 | Hospital | 115 |
| King's College | 2 | Hospital | 97 |
| London | 5 | Hospital | 277 |
| Mother's Hospital, Hackney Queen Charlotte's | 11 | Hospital and A.N. clinic | 500 |
| 6 | Hospital and A.N. clinic | 230 | |
| St. Mary's | 1 | A.N. clinic | 13 |
| St. Thomas' | 1 | Hospital | 44 |
| South London | 6 | Hospital and A.N. clinic | 304 |
| University College | 2 | Hospital and A.N. clinic | 36 |
| Westminster | 3 | Hospital and A.N. clinic | 121 |
| St. Bartholomew's* | 4 | Hospital | 8 |
| 48 | 1,947 |
* Ceased 31 January, 1960.
Payment is made by the Council on a per capita basis—at present generally £17 10s.
per case.
Duties under the Midwives Act, 1951
In 1960 the Council as local supervising authority received notifications of intention to
practise from 1,404 midwives.
Table (iii)—
| Midwives practising in hospitals | 1,105 |
| Midwives practising in nursing homes; employed by district nursing associations, nursing co.operations, etc. | 197 |
| Midwives employed by l.c.c. | 98 |
| Supervisors of midwives | 4 |
| 1,404 |
Under section 14 (i) of the Midwives Act, 1951 the Council pays fees to general practitioners
for medical aid rendered to cases for which a doctor had not been booked to give
maternity medical services. For purposes of supervision a record is also kept of medical
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