Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
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Dr. Sheppard has acted as Inspector of Midwives and has
carried out the routine quarterly inspections, the results of which
have been satisfactory. Additional inspections in respect of
emergencies such as Ophthalmia Neonatorum, Puerperal Fever
and Pyrexia, and Maternal Mortality, have been made by your
Medical Officer of Health.
Of the midwives in active practice during 1937, an average
of 14 were employed at the Maternity Hospital and 7 by the
Walthamstow District Nursing Association, leaving 14 independent
midwives in active practice. Of these 14, one practised at her own
registered maternity home, and the other 13 had the following
number of cases:—96, 65, 46, 41, 22, 7, 6, 2, 2, 2, 1, nil and nil
within the Borough.
The following table shows the work done by midwives (including those employed at Thorpe Coombe Maternity Hospital) during 1937:—
No. of confinements attended as a Midwife | 997 |
,, ,, ,, Maternity Nurse ,. | 220 |
,, medical aid notices sent | 467 |
,, notifications of deaths | 7 |
,, twin births notified | 20 |
,, stillbirths notified | 15 |
,, notifications of liability to be a source of infection | 17 |
,, ,, ,, laying out of a dead body | 7 |
,, ,, ,, artificial feeding | 6 |
,, ,, ,, disinfection | 17 |
The table includes the following numbers with regard to work
done at Thorpe Coombe:—
Midwifery cases, 535 in Hospital and 48 on District.
Maternity cases, 107 in Hospital and 9 on District.
Medical Aid Notices, 304.
The percentages of medical aid notices were:—
Total, 46.9. Maternity Hospital, 52.1. Domiciliary midwives,
39.3.
The conditions for which medical aid was summoned by midwives
in domiciliary practice have been summarised and were as
follows:—