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64
THE FIRST REPORT
on the
WILLESDEN MATERNITY HOSPITAL.
REPORT ON THE WORK FROM OPENING ON THE
14th FEBRUARY, 1931, to 31st DECEMBER, 1931,
By ARNOLD WALKER, M A., M.B., B.Ch., F.R.C.S., M.C.O.G.
I have the honour to present the Report of the working of the Maternity Hospital, from the
opening on February 14th, 1931, until 31st December, 1931.
The Council's Maternity Service may be divided into three stages—(1) before admission to
the hospital, (2) in hospital, and (3) after discharge from hospital, and this service has proved to be
efficient from the obstetric point of view.
Before Admission to Hospital.
All patients who book for confinement at the Willesden Maternity Hospital attend for antinatal
care at one of the Health Centres provided by the authority. I visit the ante-natal clinics
regularly, and see cases which the Council's medical staff refer to me. In addition, and in every
instance, I see all first pregnancies and all patients with a bad obstetric history at the 36th week
of pregnancy, and as often as may be necessary subsequently.
It is a great advantage to the ante-natal case to be able to attend an ante-natal clinic near her
home. To some extent, however, it is not so easy for the hospital, but the difficulty of linking up
the continuous supervision given before admission with the confinement in hospital, and after discharge,
has been overcome by certain arrangements which have been instituted. These have worked
very satisfactorily, and the whole records are always before me when the case arrives at the hospital
for confinement.
In Hospital.
The case usually reaches the hospital by ambulance, but in a few instances the patients come
by Omnibus.
During the period from the opening on the 14th February, 1931, to the 31st December, 1931,
440 patients were admitted to hospital; 416 were discharged, and 2 died, leaving 22 still in hospital at
the end of the year. Particulars with regard to the 418 cases will be found below. With regard to
the 2 deaths the first was primarily due to advanced heart disease. Treatment was difficult on
account of the disinclination of the patient to carry out instructions. In the second case, the patient
was admitted already infected by one of the organisms causing gas gangrene. In spite of the use of
every known form of treatment these patients died.
On several occasions the London Blood Transfusion Service has been called upon to provide
blood donors. The speed with which this organisation provides a suitable donor is a great tribute
to the efficiency of the service as a whole, and the self-sacrifice of the men and women who give their
blood without reward or recognition is beyond praise.
At the end of the year the hospital was working at full capacity. During the last four weeks
of the year the average daily number of patients in hospital was 21, and the maximum number on
any one day 31. As the total beds normally available for patients is only 26, including the 2 isolation
beds, the extra patients could only be accommodated by temporarily adding beds to the general
wards. In spite of these difficulties, the internal arrangements of the hospital have worked well,
but it must always be remembered that the buildings were originally designed as a Small Pox Hospital,
and although the alterations have converted it into an excellent Maternity Hospital there are still
some points which I hope will receive consideration when the time is ripe for further development.
The points that I have in mind are more space in connection with the labour wards and some
provision for isolation accommodation which it is always necessary to have at hand in a Maternity
Hospital.
424 viable children were born to 416 mothers. Of these, 397 left hospital alive and well,
16 were stillborn and 11 died. 365 were fed on breast milk alone. In 30 the milk of the mother had
to be supplemented by artificial food, and in only 2 cases was the child fed on artificial food alone.