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5
Hospital Confinements.—During 1945, 1,026 women were confined in the Willesden Maternity Hospital.
468 births of Willesden residents were notified from outside Institutions—85 from St. Mary's Hospital, 49 from Queen
Charlotte's Hospital, 29 from Middlesex Hospital, 29 from University College Hospital, and smaller numbers from
other hospitals, 90 from a Nursing Home, and smaller numbers from other Nursing and Maternity Homes. These,
together with some 529 in the Central Middlesex County Hospital, are approximately 75 per cent. of the births
belonging to Willesden.
It is to be noted that in 1945 many mothers desiring institutional confinement were unable to obtain beds.
429 applicants for the Willesden Maternity Hospital alone had to be refused. Some of these obtained beds in other
hospitals, some solved their difficulty by registering for evacuation in the last month of pregnancy, and some had to
be confined at home.

The report on the Willesden Maternity Hospital by Mr. Arnold Walker, F.R.C.S., the Council's Consultant
Obstetrician, appears later in this report.
Ante-Natal Work for Institutions not under the Council.—Requests are received from the Middlesex
County Council and from various London Hospitals for home visits to expectant mothers, and for special reports
by the Council's Health Visitors in connection with women who are to be confined in these hospitals. 551 such
requests were received in 1945.
147 Expectant Mothers booked for confinement in the Central Middlesex County Hospital were referred to
the Willesden Health Centres for Ante-Natal care in 1945.
Puerperal Pyrexia. 62 cases were notified in 1945.
Maternal Mortality.—During 1945 there were 4 deaths classed to pregnancy and child-bearing—2 to
post-abortive infection and 2 to other puerperal causes.
The puerperal mortalitv rate from Sepsis was therefore 0.71 per 1,000 registered total births.
The total puerperal mortality rate was 1.48 per 1,000 registered total births.
During 1945 there were, in addititon, 4 maternal deaths from non-puerperal causes.
The total maternal mortality from all causes, including criminal abortion, was 2.97 per 1,000 registered total
births.
Sterilised Accouchement Sets. These sets are supplied in accordance with the arrangements stated in my
Annual Report for 1980, p. 10.
During 1945, 167 were supplied free, 161 at full cost and 380 at part cost—a total of 658.
Specialist Help.—The Council accept responsibility for the payment of the fee of one of their specialists called
in by a medical practitioner to assist him in connection with a difficult case of labour. One such consultation was
paid for in 1945.