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
Hendon 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hendon]
This page requires JavaScript
| 1942. | 1943. | 1944. | 1945. | 1946. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Ante-natal Sessions held | 431 | 503 | 517 | 509 | 626 |
| No. of Expectant Mothers seen | 1619 | 1597 | 1498 | 1702 | 1926 |
| No. of attendances | 7464 | 8721 | 8944 | 9109 | 11574 |
| Average No. seen per session | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 |
| Average No. of attendances made by each patient | 4.61 | 5.46 | 5.97 | 5,35 | 6.01 |
PROVISION FOR CONFINEMENT, DOMICILIARY:
Confinements are undertaken in the home by the Council
Midwifery staff and by arrangement with the; Midwives employed
by the Watling District Nursing Association. The
increasing number of mothers attending the ante-natal clinics
was, of course, reflected in due course in the midwifery service.
To meet the increased demand the Council approved
the increase of the establishment of Midwives from 8 to 9
and, in the following year, to 10. The difficulties experienced
in extending the Midwifery Service were largely concerned
with finding suitable accommodation for the additional midwives
and in this, the Housing Committee and their Officers
have been very helpful.
Transport of Midwives, particularly as gas and air
analgesia is in more general use, necessitating the transport of
somewhat cumbersome apparatus, has also presented many
problems. These have been solved in a variety of ways; two
of the Midwives providing their own cars and one car being
provided by the Council for a Midwife, but the greatest provision
has been made by the Transport Section of the Borough
Engineer's Department, whose timely and continuous help
greatly assisted in meeting the difficulties attendant on the
increase which has taken place in the birth rate.