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
East Ham 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for East Ham]
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37
INSTITUTIONAL MIDWIVES
Pour midwives employed at the East Ham Memorial Hospital at the end of the year
were qualified in accordance with the requirements of the Central Midwives Board to
administer inhalational analgesics
Number of cases in which medical aid was summoned during the year under Section
14(1) of the Midwives Act 1951, by a midwife
(a) for domiciliary cases
(i) where the medical practitioner had arranged to
provide the patient with maternity medical
services under the N B S Act 24
(ii) others 38
Total 62
(b) for cases in Institutions 165+
+ East Ham Memorial Hospital
On 1 11„55 the Silvertown & North Woolwich District Nursing Association closed their
district nurses home and their work for the East Ham community adjacent to the Royal
Docks came to an end
These nurses gave both a general nursing and a domiciliary midwifery service to
dockland residents and over the years won golden opinions for themselves from the people
they served and the general practitioners in the area
Henceforth the work will be fragmented The district nursing will be supplied by the
Woolwich & Plumstead District Nursing Association and the domiciliary midwifery will be
carried out by our own domiciliary midwives as an extension of their sphere of action to
cover the whole borough
SECTION 24 HEALTH VISITING SERVICE
TABLE 19
| Number of children under 5 years of age visited during year | Expectant mothers | Children under 1 year of age | Children age 1 and under 2 years | Children age 2 but under 5 years | Other cases | Total nomber of families or households visited by Health Visitors | Number of attendances by health visitors at L H A. Clinics during the year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First visits | Total visits | First visits | Total visits | Total visits | Total visits | Total visits | |||
| 8, 403 | 1.019 | 1. 294 | 1, 470 | 7, 252 | 4, 411 | 5, 905 | 5, 288 | 19, 709 | 3, 001 |
All Health Visiting Services are provided by the Authority There are no agency arrangements
with voluntary organisations
One aspect of the Health Visitor's work which should be brought to the notice of the public
is the seeming lack of co operation between housewife and Health Visitor.
Of 41,650 visits to the home 17,500 calls proved abortive and it appears in some instances
mothers meke little effort to welcome the Health Visitor or to anticipate her visit When one
considers the call is often made at the request of some responsible member of the household
concerned one is a little alarmed at the lack of courtesy and consideration shewn to a
Visitor who is offering help and advice often of a specialized kind