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
Willesden 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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Of the Midwives living in Willesden it will be noted that apart from institutions or associations
the largest number of midwifery cases any single Midwife attended as a Midwife was 76 and that the
largest total of cases any single Midwife attended was 98, being 76 cases which she attended as a Midwife
and 22 as a Maternity Nurse. This Midwife (No. 2) with 98 cases and another Midwife (No. 11)
with 91 cases may be making a living at midwifery, although the case of No. 11 who takes St. Thomas's
students may be different from Midwife No. 2 as it is not unlikely that Midwife No. 11 receives a salary
from St. Thomas's Hospital. The next highest total number of cases attended by a District Midwife
was 48 and this cannot conceivably represent whole-time work. It will, therefore, be observed that
all the Private District Midwives in Willesden who are practising midwifery must practise it as an
adjunct to some other work which in my opinion is unsatisfactory.
During the year ended 31st December, 1934, 145 notifications were received from Midwives
practising in Willesden in accordance with the rules of the Central Midwives Board. Of these 145
notifications 111 were received from Midwives living and practising in Willesden and 34 from Midwives
practising in, but living outside Willesden. Of the 145 notifications received 120 were in respect of
calling in medical aid, 87 being in respect of the mother and 33 in respect of the child. In addition
8 notifications were received from Midwives acting as Maternity Nurses.
The total fees paid by the Council to Medical Practitioners called in by Midwives during the
year ending December 31st, 1934, amounted to £73 19s. 0d., and the total fees paid by the Council
to Midwives amounted to £167 14s. 0d.—£145 1 1s. 0d., where the Midwife was acting as a Midwife and
£22 3s. Od. where the Midwife was acting as a Maternity Nurse. (The maternity nursing cases were
all dealt with by the Willesden District Nursing Association, 17-19, Park Avenue, Willesden, N.W.2.)
Table No . 46.
The following information was sent to the Ministry of Health on Form M.C.W. 96 (revised) :— Midwives.
| I. (a) Number practising in the area served by the Council for Maternity and Child Welfare at the end of the year | 44 | |
| (Up to 4th Feb., 1935, 40 have notified intention to practise in Willesden during 1935.) | ||
| (b) Number (i.) employed by the Council | 0 | |
| (ii.) directly subsidised by the Council | 0 | |
| (iii.) employed by Voluntary Associations in Willesden | 12 ► | (Queen's Nurses, 17/19, Park Avenue, Willesden—(These act as Maternity Nurses —not as Midwives. 2 are allocated to Maternity nursing only. The remainder do Maternity Nursing as required.) |
| 3 | (Queen Charlotte's Hospital District Nurses Home, 40, Princess Road. Kilburn.) | |
| (iv.) employed by Voluntary Associations outside Willesden | ► 7 | (Queen Charlotte's Hospital District Nurses' Home, North Kensington.) (Queen's District Nurses, Hampstead.) |
(c) Number of cases during the year in which the Council paid or contributed to the fee of a
midwife—
75 where the midwife was acting as a midwife.
18 where the midwife was acting as a maternity nurse.
II. (a) Number of cases attended by midwives during the year:—
In Willesden by all Outside Willesden by
midwives practising midwives resident
in Willesden. in Willesden.
(i.) As midwives 1,097 157
(ii.) As maternity nurses 337 90
(b) Number of cases during the year in which medical aid was summoned by a midwife
under Section 14 (1) of the Midwives Act, 1918—120.