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 1961

[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)—StaffDistrict midwives employed by

Table (i)—Staff

District midwives employed by

19571958195919601961
The Council8787899494
District Nursing Associations (including supervisory staff)4448454643
Hospitals3940464340
170175180183177

Table: Table (ii)— Domiciliary confinements attended

Table (ii)— Domiciliary confinements attended

19571958195919601961
Doctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not presentDoctor presentDoctor not present
(a) Doctor not booked L.C.C.1723,3252012,8992322,7611782,197831,069
D.N.A.681,624751,577581,360471,19339716
Hospital district291,711231,693411,574————
2696,6602996,1693315,6952253,3901221,785
6,9296,4686,0263,6151,907
(b) Doctor booked L.C.C.9961,5481,1351,9661,3402,4051,5632,8482,2373,759
D.N.A.1522941823891945052806923391,010
Hospital district681961442251323132021,7453021,666
1,2162,0381,4612,5801,6663,2232,0455,2852,8786,435
3,2544,0414,8897,3309,313
10,18310,50910,91510,94511,220

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All hospital district cases are now shown as 'doctor booked', because all such cases are ante-natally under
the direct care of a hospital doctor and medical aid during labour and the puerperium is available to them on
call to the hospital.
The difference in recording only partially accounts for the marked increase in the number
of home confinements in which a doctor was booked for maternity medical services. The
total increase was from 4,889 (45 per cent.) in 1959 to 9,313 (83 per cent.) in 1961, while the
corresponding figures for 1956 were 2,722 (27 per cent.). Taking only those cases attended
by London County Council and District Nursing Association midwives, the increase was
from 4,444 (51 per cent.) in 1959 to 7,346 (79 per cent.) in 1961.

Table: Table (iii)

Table (iii)

19571958195919601961
Premature babies:
Number501482555517525
Per cent. of live births5 04.6514.74.7
Stillbirths:
Number87891007985
Per 1,000 total births8.58.49.27.27.6

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The corresponding rates for domiciliary confinements for England and Wales in the
year 1960 (the latest available) were for prematurity, 4.1 per cent., and for stillbirths,
8.7 per 1,000 total births.
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