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

Barking 1934

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]

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Table: (c) Midwifery.-—The number of midwives who are engaged in practice in the Borough is as follows :—

(c) Midwifery.-—The number of midwives who are engaged in practice in the Borough is as follows :—

At Upney Hospital At the District Nurses' Home of the Plaistow Maternity5
Hospital2
In private practice7

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The Essex County Council is at present the Local Supervising Authority for
Midwives, but these duties will be carried out by you from the 1st April, 1935.
By agreement, dated 1st January, 1924, with the Plaistow Maternity Hospital
and District Nurses' Home, the Council annually subsidise the Hospital on any
deficit from £300 in respect of 300 District Midwifery cases attended by their
midwives, reckoned at the rate of £1 per case. The takings of the Hospital for
1934 in respect of 185 cases amounted to £228 8s. Od. leaving a balance payable to
the Hospital by the Council of £71 12s. Od.
During the year 1934 there were 1,227 maternity cases in the district. 163
of these were conducted by the Plaistow Maternity Charity, 317 of them were
conducted by your own midwives at Upney Hospital, leaving 747 which were dealt
with by medical practitioners, private midwives or otherwise.
(d) Upney Hospital.—The admissions to the Maternity Home during 1934
numbered 334 of which 16 were admitted for ante-natal treatment.
During the past year the average number of beds occupied was thirteen.
The present hospital building is of a temporary nature, but in spite of this
the results obtained testify to the efficiency and care of the nursing staff.
This building is about to be replaced by a permanent building and it is hoped
that 1935 will see the complete transfer of your Maternity Home to a modern and
well-equipped building which I am persuaded will be one of the most wonderful in
the country.
It is impossible to see this old building swept away without a pang of regret
and whilst we look forward with pleasure to the new Maternity Home which is
about to be built we remember with gratitude the men and women who had
sufficient foresight to build the old hospital, which has served a wonderful purpose.
It must be remembered that "stone walls do not a prison make " and bricks and
mortar are only a very small part of a hospital, and we trust to carry forward in the
new home the same spirit of service and devotion which has been the foundation of
your maternity work in Barking.