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
Ilford 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]
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With regard to Home Helps, these can be provided for any expectant
or nursing mother with children under the age of 5, or for help in the home
at the time of confinement, but generally this is applicable to the latter type
of case. This is quite apart from the scheme for the service of Domestic
Helps as mentioned above.
Payment is made to the Home and Domestic Helps at the rate of Is. 9fd.
per hour; travelling expenses are also paid by the Council, and the fees
are recovered from the person responsible in accordance with the financial
oircumstances of the applicants.
| Subsequent attendances | 8,247 | 2,229 |
| Number of expectant mothers on the rolls on 31st December, 1946 .. | 324 | 140 |
All patients booked for admission to the Maternity Home are medically
examined at the Ante-Natal Clinics.
During the year, 507 cases other than those booked for admission to the
Maternity Home were examined at the Clinics. There were 2,917 attendances
by such cases.
The Consulting Obstetrician made weekly visits to the Ante-Natal
Clinic during 1946.
During the year 52 ordinary visits were made, 508 patients referred
from the Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Clinics, and 77 patients referred by
private Doctors, were examined. A total of 1,308 examinations were made.
X-Ray Examination of Ante-Natal Patients.
129 examinations were made at King George Hospital in 1946.
Post-Natal Clinics.
It is the practice to make appointments for all patients confined in the
Council's Maternity Home, and other patients on request, to attend the
Post-Natal Clinics for the first time approximately 6 weeks after the confinement.
Two Clinics are now held, one at the Maternity Home each week and the other at the Mayesbrook Clinic once each month. The latter Clinic commenced on 28th March, 1946. The following attendances were recorded:—
| Sessions. | First attendances. | Subsequent attendances. | Average attendance each session. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maternity Home | 51 | 683 | 348 | 20 |
| Mayesbrook Clinic | 10 | 112 | 42 | 15 |
Supply of Sheets for Expectant Mothers.—In accordance with
Circular 154/44 of the Ministry of Health of the 3rd November, 1944, women
holding RB2 expectant mother's ration books are eligible to purchase Utility
Sheets on priority dockets if the Midwife or Materqity nurse booked for
the case certifies that the woman is genuinely in need of additional sheets.
During 1946, 3,541 dockets were issued to 1,242 expectant mothers.
Maternal Mortality.—The total number of deaths due to childbirth
during the year was 8, which gives a maternal mortality rate i.e., number
of deaths per 1,000 live births of 2.32 (or 2.26 including stillbirths).