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tendency was steadily increasing in the years before the war. In
the Ministry of Health's Hospital Survey published in 1945 the
following paragraph appears:—
"There has been for some years an increasing tendency for
women whose confinement is likely to be normal to seek institutional
accommodation rather than to be confined at home. This
tendency has been strengthened during the war when it has
become even more difficult to get help in the home. It seems
clear that a habit has become firmly established which will make
it essential in the future to provide maternity beds, not only for
the comparatively small number of women whose confinement
may be difficult or whose home circumstances are unsuitable, but
also for the much larger number who desire institutional confinement
as a matter of convenience. Our enquiries suggest that it
would be unwise to budget for less than half the number of births
to take place in institutions in the immediate future (in London
the proportion is already 60 per cent.) and that this proportion
may continue to increase."
In 1935 the Beckenham & Penge Joint Maternity Hospital was
at 80, Croydon Road, Beckenham, and contained fourteen beds.
In that year the distribution of the Institutional births was as
follows:—
Total Institutional In B. & P. In Other In Institutions
Births J.M.H. Institutions outside the
in the Borough District
56% 25.4% 11.8% 18.8%
In 1945 the new Hospital in Stone Park Avenue (34 beds) was
in full use for the last nine months of the year and the figures
were:—
Total Institutional In B. & P. In Other In Institutions
Births J.M.H. Institutions outside the
in the District District
79% 49.1% 15.7% 14.2%
The Hospital, in a full year, could accommodate a larger number
of cases, but it could not accept more than 55—60% of the births
in Beckenham in any one year.
It is noteworthy that Beckenham residents during 1945 used
no less than thirty-two Institutions outside the Borough, but the
County Hospital at Farnborough, and two private Maternity Homes
in Bromley dealt with over 60% of these cases.
It must be recognised that if the demand for Institutional
accommodation increases, or even remains at its present level, the
Beckenham & Penge Joint Maternity Hospital will not be able to
accept all of those who apply for admission.
(b) Mothers' Own Homes.
Mothers wishing to have their confinements in their own homes
can engage the services of a medical practitioner and/or a midwife.
The domiciliary midwifery service in Beckenham is provided
and administered by the Kent County Council. The midwives in
the Borough may act in two capacities: either as midwives in
complete charge of the case, or as maternity nurses acting under the
direction of a medical practitioner.
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