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 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bromley]
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holding weekly sessions. A second Health Visitor was appointed. The
Day Nursery was moved from Homesdale Road to larger premises at
87, Masons Hill, and a grant of £50 per annum was made. This nursery
was closed in 1920, owing to dwindling attendances. In 1925 the Maternity
and Child Welfare services were incorporated into the Health and School
Medical Services so that the care of mother and child became one continued
service and not separately administered.
In 1930 Bromley was made the Supervising Authority under the
Midwives Acts, and by the Midwives Act, 1936, became responsible for
providing a Municipal Midwifery Service. With that service the Council
inaugurated the Scheme for Home Helps in maternity cases.
The first ad
| statistical comparisons:— | 1908 | 1924 | 1947 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth Rate (per 1,000 population) | 21.1 | 15.1 | 20.9 |
| Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live births) | 72.8 | 58.0 | 19.11 |
| Maternal Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live and still births) | Not available | 4.9 | 0.74 |
| Number of visits by Health visitors | nil | 3,926 | 8,800 |
| Ante-Natal Clinic (attendances) | nil | 51 | 404 |
| Welfare Centre attendances | * | 6,767 | 24,654 |
| Dental—Mothers | nil | nil | 613 |
| Children under five | nil | nil | 192 |
| Eye Clinic | nil | nil | 159 |
| Ultra-Violet Rays | nil | nil | 469 |
| Orthopaedic | nil | nil | 352 |
| Minor Ailments | nil | 15 | 147 |
| Day Nurseries—Number of Children on | |||
| register at 31st December | nil | nil | 97 |
| Domestic Help—Cases assisted | nil | nil | 170 |
| Home Help—Cases assisted | nil | nil | 100 |
| Diphtheria Immunisation | nil | nil | 711 |
* No Welfare Centre facilities were afforded by the Local Authority,
but a voluntary organisation (the Bromley Health Society) instructed
working mothers on the proper feeding and management of their
infants. No figures are available.
These statistics speak for themselves, and must indicate the success
of the work carried out during the period of years.
I am sure that the Committee would wish to acknowledge the active
services of the voluntary workers, numbering 60 at present, and to extend
to them the hope that the change of control will not cause them to curtail,
in any way, the time, energy and help that they have given to the benefit
of the services as a whole. They are doing, and have done, valuable work
in the care of Mother and Child, and without these services I am convinced
that we could not have reached our present standard."
The year has been without unusual incidents, but it is
worthy to note the changes occurring in infectious diseases.
Diphtheria has become rare in incidence—whether this fact is
due to intensive immunisation or not must be left to the future
before coming to a definite conclusion. Two of the three cases
of Diphtheria which did occur were of a virulent type but close
contacts in the family and elsewhere were not infected and both