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
Willesden 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
This page requires JavaScript
6
Since the autumn of 1931, in accordance with the request of the Ministry of Health, reports
have been sent to the Ministry in cases of Cerebro-Spinal Fever, giving information desired by the
Ministry as to the use and results of anti-meningococcus serum treatment.
Whooping Cough is a notifiable disease in Willesden. 480 cases were notified during the year,
but a total of 880 cases coming to their knowledge were visited by the Health Visitors. There were
8 deaths from Whooping Cough all occurring in children under 5 years of age.
Non-Notifiable Acute Infectious Diseases are reported from the Public Elementary
Schools and are found by the Health Visitors during the course of home visitation.
During 1934, 1,805 cases of measles, which is not notifiable in Willesden, were visited by the
Health Visitors. There were 22 deaths from Measles, 21 occurring in children under 5 years.
MOTHERS AND CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS.
Municipal Centres.—At the Municipal Centres, including the Ringworm Centre, expectant
mothers attended the medical consultations on 6,997 occasions; nursing mothers 24,759, and children
under 5, 43,143, making a total of 74,899 attendances.
Out of the total number of 2,743 children born alive during the year, 1,523 or 55.5 per cent.
subsequently attended the Municipal Welfare Centres. Altogether, however, 1,837 children under
1 year of age attended the Municipal Centres for the first time during the year. This represents
69.7 per cent. of the 2,635 notified live births belonging to Willesden, and 67 per cent. of the 2,743
registered live births belonging to Willesden. 603 children between the ages of 1 and 5 years attended
the Municipal Centres for the first time during the year.
The number of live births occurring amongst expectant mothers who attended the AnteNatal
Clinics was 1,010; 70.2 per cent. of these mothers with their babies subsequently attended
the Welfare Centres.
Maternity Hospital—
Bookings.—The following table shows the bookings year by year for hospital confinement
under the Council's schemes since hospital provision was first made by the Council for such cases:—
Table No. 1.
| Year. | No. of Confinement Cases Booked. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 (part-year) | 99 | Maternity Pavilion at Municipal Hospital opened. |
| 1919 | 267 | |
| 1920 | 444 | Restrictions began to be placed on bookings. |
| 1921 | 335 | |
| 1922 | 266 | |
| 1923 | 140 | Municipal Hospital Pavilion closed, 30th April, 1923. Cases sent to Park Royal Hospital. |
| 1924 | 99 | |
| 1925 | 146 | |
| 1926 | 220 | • |
| 1927 | 221 | |
| 1928 | 272 | |
| 1929 | 334 | |
| 1930 | 402 | |
| 1931 | 535 | Willesden Maternity Hospital opened, 14th February, 1931. Cases no longer sent to Park Royal Hospital. |
| 1932 | 544 | Bookings limited to relieve pressure on Hospital accommodation. |
| 1933 | 550 | |
| 1934 | 666 | Willesden Maternity Hospital extended, 29th December, 1934. |
Extension.—A feature of the year's work was the extension of the Maternity Hospital. From
a hospital of 31 beds, its size has been nearly doubled. In its original form the hospital had 5 labour
beds, 24 lying-in beds and 2 separation beds. As extended the hospital comprises of 8 labour beds,
38 lying-in beds, 4 isolation cubicle beds and 8 ante-natal beds.
The Opening Ceremony was performed by Sir Comyns Berkeley, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P., F.C.O.G.,
Hon. M.M.S.A. on the 29th December, 1934. In his opening address he emphasised the importance
of Ante-Natal Care and drew special attention to the provision which the Council had made in this
respect in their extended hospital.