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
Woolwich 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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attends at the centre which serves the area in which she visits. The supervision
of all children under school age includes the visiting of cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum,
Measles, Zymotic Enteritis, Whooping Cough, Pneumonia and Anterior
Poliomyelitis.
The following Table, No. 73, shows the classification of visits paid by the
Health Visitors in 1930:—
| Births—First visits | 2,308 |
| „ Revisits | 15,413 |
| Infant deaths investigated | 55 |
| Still-births investigated | 25 |
| Expectant mothers—home visits | 680 |
| Infectious diseases:— | |
| Ophthalmia Neonatorum—First visits | 8 |
| „ „ Revisits | 7 |
| Measles—First visits | 2,444 |
| „ Revisits | 1,766 |
| Puerperal fever—First visits | 5 |
| „ „ Revisits | — |
| Puerperal Pyrexia—First visits | 16 |
| „ „ Revisits | 2 |
| Zymotic Enteritis—First visits | 5 |
| „ „ Revisits | 2 |
| Pneumonia | 77 |
| Anterior Poliomyelitis | 2 |
| Visits unclassified | 330 |
| Visits unsuccessful | 2,614 |
| 25,759 |
In 1930 the Council, with the approval of the Ministry of Health, paid the
class fees of two health visitors who attended a refresher course for health visitors.
(c) The Work of the Welfare Centres.—Ath the beginning of the year there
were six municipal centres in the Borough and one voluntary centre, but in April the
Council became directly responsible for the voluntary centre. At all the centres
infant consultations are held and at three of them ante-natal clinics as well. Three
of the centres are held in buildings owned or rented by the Council, whilst the other
four are held in church halls on one or two half days a week. At the end of the
year four ante-natal sessions and 19 infant consultation and weighing sessions
were being held each week.