London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Enfield 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Enfield]
This page requires JavaScript
35
ADMINISTRATION OF MID WIVES ACTS, 1902-36
At the end of the year 1947 there were 26 Midwives practising
in the district, 19 of whom were employed by the Council as wholetime
domiciliary midwives, and 7 employed in the private Maternity
Home and Chase Farm Hospital.
The following table shows the cases attended during 1947 and 1946:—
| 1947 | 1946 | |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal Midwives— | ||
| Cases attended as Midwives | 902 | 682 |
| Cases attended as Maternity Nurses | 239 | 441 |
| Private Midwives— | ||
| Cases attended as Midwives in Institutions | 214 | 8 |
| Cases attended as Maternity Nurses in Institutions | 42 | - |
| Cases attended as Maternity Nurses domiciliary | 2 | - |
The total number of cases attended by the municipal midwives
shows a slight increase over the previous year's high number and
one interesting point is the greatly increased number of cases
attended by our midwives in their full capacity of midwife, compared
with those cases attended in the capacity of maternity nurse.
The effect of this, of course, has been materially to increase the
work and responsibility of the midwives.
NOTIFICATIONS
In accordance with the provisions of the Midwives Acts 1902-1936 and the rules of the Central Midwives Board, the following notifications were received:—
| 1947 | 1946 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sending for Medical Aid | 249 | 233 |
| Still Births | 4 | 9 |
| Laying out of the dead | 3 | 5 |
| Artificial feeding | 18 | 17 |
| Liability to be a source of infection | 11 | 6 |
| Notification of death | 3 | 3 |