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
Walthamstow 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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Mr. Pegram, the Clerk to the Committee, has kindly supplied the following particulars of Walthamstow residents admitted to the various Institutions during the year ended the 31st December, 1931:—
| Institution. | Men. | Women. | Children. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Home | 176 | 219 | 72 | 467 |
| Whipps Cross Hospital | 553 | 585 | 312 | 1,450 |
| Forest Gate Hospital | 10 | 125 | 5 | 140 |
| Aldersbrook Home | — | — | 62 | 62 |
17
The previous compulsory notification of Chicken Pox was thus
continued except that the vaccinated cases, who could therefore
not be suffering from Smallpox, were excluded from notification
and so leading to economy of money and of time previously wasted
by the medical staff in verification of diagnosis.
When the Regulations came into force copies were sent to all
practitioners in the Borough. They have answered their purpose
well.
(b) The Walthamstow Corporation Act, 1931, which received
Royal Assent on 27th March, 1931, was an Act promoted to make
provision for the annual audit.
(c) The Walthamstow (Supervision of Midwives) Order, 1931.
7. Hospitals.—There were no changes during 1931 in the
Hospital services used by the inhabitants of the Borough.
Public Assistance in Walthamstow is now provided by the
South-West Area Committee of the Essex County Council, which
retains a certain proportion of beds in each of the local Institutions.
''The following comparative figures show the progress of the Hospital from the year 1927 to 1931:—
| Patients admitted. | Average stay in Hospital. | Beds occupied daily. | Out-patients Department | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Cases. | Attendances. | ||||
| 1931 | 1,515 | 21.29 | 88.3 | 11,186 | 50,201 |
| 1930 | 1,406 | 22.84 | 88.10 | 13,470 | 49,988 |
| 1929 | 1,341 | 23.98 | 87.29 | 19,177 | 44,472 |
| 1928 | 1,151 | 22.93 | 70.57 | 10,098 | 41,761 |
| 1927 | 865 | 20.35 | 47.0 | 9,698 | 32,752 |
Fifty-eight children were born to Walthamstow mothers in
Forest Gate Hospital, in addition to 7 stillbirths.
The number of patients from Walthamstow in Mental Hospitals
on the 31st December was 385 (335 at Brentwood and 50 at Severalls).
The Connaught Hospital.
Captain Ellison has kindly supplied the following information:—
"Of the total number of in-patients admitted during the year,
684 were residents of the Borough.