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
Bromley 1942
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bromley]
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16
SECTION B (II). MATERNITY AND CHILD
WELFARE.
NATAL SERVICES.
Municipal Midwifery Service.
Owing to the considerable increase in the number of
confinements, a temporary Midwife was engaged, thus
restoring the pre-war complement of 5 Municipal Midwives.
The following comparative statistics for 1942 and 1941 show the general increase in work:—
| 1942. | 1941. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of bookings | 490 | 299 | ||
| divided between: — | ||||
| 1942. | 1941. | |||
| (a) Home confinements | 312 | 233 | ||
| (b) Hospital ,, | 178 | 66 | ||
| Number of Confinements attended:— | ||||
| As Midwife | 229 | 164 | ||
| As Maternity Nurse | 55 | 25 | ||
| Number of visits by Midwives:— | ||||
| Ante-natal | 2756 | 2066 | ||
| Post-natal | 4690 | 3128 | ||
| Domiciliary Medical Practitioner Service. | ||||
| Number of medical examinations made by doctors: | ||||
| Ante-natal | 106 | 161 | ||
| Post-natal | 45 | 70 | ||
| Home Helps. | ||||
| Number of patients engaging home helps | 135 | 113 | ||
| Number of home helps so employed | 87 | 45 | ||
The increased number of confinements led to corresponding
increase in the demand for the services of home
helps. Owing to calls on woman power for National
Service, we found the demand difficult to satisfy and
steps were taken to appoint two whole-time home helps.
Of the 87 home helps engaged, 69 took only one case
each.