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
Wembley 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wembley]
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The following table shows statistically the services rendered by the Associations during the last four years:—
| 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Births attended | 96 | 103 (2 midwifery) | 94 | 136 |
| General sick cases | 222 | 248 | 250 | 350 |
| Visits—sick nursing | 2,686 | 2,488 | 2,329 | 3,759 |
| No. of Nurses at end of year | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Births attended | 29 | 112† | 128 | 224 |
| (4 midwifery nurses) | ||||
| General sick cases | 266 | 981† | 988 | 1,017 |
| Visits—sick nursing | 9,207 | 15,226† | 17,060 | 20,051 |
| No. of nurses at end of year | 5 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| († 1/10/35—31/12/36 i.e. 15 months). | ||||
(1) Midwifery and Maternity Case.
The Kingsbury Association has had two nurses for this
work, while four nurses nave been employed by the Wembley
Association. There is no indication that domiciliary midwifery
in Wembley is relatively on the increase, the facts are the
reverse. During 1938, for example, 46.9 per cent of Wembley
confinements took place in hospital, while the number of births
notified by midwives was 410, the corresponding figures for
1937 being 39.8 per cent and 417. Of the 410 notifications by
midwives, only 98 were notified by midwives in private practice
not attached to the two Nursing Associations and not attached
to nursing homes. These figures point out the limitations for
increased demand for the domiciliary midwifery and maternity
services of the two Associations.
(2) General Sick Nursing.
(a) Kingsbury District Nursing Association.
The staff employed for general sick nursing services was
only one nurse. In this regard the limitations of the possibilities
of midwifery nurses assisting in general sick nursing has to be
recognised. As a generalisation it may be said that nurses
engaged in midwifery or maternity services should not act as
general sick nurses at all. Already, on occasion, the Kingsbury
Association had found itself compelled to engage temporarily
another general nurse. This Association has just taken the
important step forward of moving its nurses to a new nurses'
home (1 Mersham Drive, Kingsbury) where more appropriate
accommodation is available for the nurses to do their work.
This should increase the demand for their services.
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