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 1964
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Table (i)—
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Council | 94 | 94 | 100 (+ 7 pt.) | 107 (+ 12 pt.) | 112(+ 17 pt.) |
| District Nursing Associations* | 46 | 43 | 46 | 30(4- 18 pt.) | 22 (+ 8 pt.) |
| Hospitals* | 43 | 40 | 37 | 30 (+ lpt.) | 32 (-) |
| 183 | 177 | 190 (+ 7 pt.) | 167 (+ 31 pt.) | 166 (+ 25 pt.) | |
In addition there were midwives employed in nursing homes or voluntary hospitals, or
working through nursing co-operations or independently.
Table (ii)—
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor present | Doctor not present | Doctor present | Doctor not present | Doctor present | Doctor not present | Doctor present | Doctor not present | Doctor present | Doctor not present | |
| L.C.C. | 178 | 2,197 | 83 | 1,069 | 61 | 708 | 44 | 209 | 15 | 101 |
| D.N.A. | 47 | 1,193 | 39 | 716 | 9 | 359 | 11 | 111 | 5 | 47 |
| Hospital district | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | - | - |
| 225 | 3,390 | 122 | 1,785 | 70 | 1,067 | 55 | 320 | 20 | 148 | |
| 3,615 | 1,907 | 1,137 | 375 | 168 | ||||||
| L.C.C. | 1,563 | 2,848 | 2,237 | 3,759 | 2,608 | 4,238 | 2,696 | 4,501 | 2,421 | 4,447 |
| D.N.A. | 280 | 692 | 339 | 1,010 | 501 | 1,561 | 408 | 1,590 | 363 | 1,506 |
| Hospital district | 202 | 1,745 | 302 | 1,666 | 344 | 1,607 | 427 | 1,372 | 419 | 1,250 |
| 2,045 | 5,285 | 2,878 | 6,435 | 3,453 | 7,406 | 3,531 | 7,463 | 3,203 | 7,203 | |
| 7,330 | 9,313 | 10,859 | 10,994 | 10,406 | ||||||
| Total | 10,945 | 11,220 | 11,996 | 11,369 | 10,574 | |||||
| 1,463 | 1,954 | 2,187 | 2,810 | 4,051 | ||||||
Domiciliary confinements decreased by 795 from 1963 but institutional deliveries discharged
home before the tenth day showed an increase of 1,241. The figures of early
discharges include (i) cases sent into hospital during labour from the domiciliary midwifery
service on account of some abnormality and returned for nursing by a domiciliary midwife
(this has long been a normal practice); (ii) cases accepted after 48 hours in accordance with
pre-arranged schemes with certain maternity hospitals (see page 53). The number of home
confinements booked by general practitioners for the provision of maternity medical
services continues to increase steadily; in only 168 cases, which included emergencies
delivered by domiciliary midwives, had a doctor not been booked.
60