London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Walthamstow 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Walthamstow]
This page requires JavaScript
84
MIDWIFERY
(Section 23)
There were 32 practising midwives in the Borough at the end
of 1951.
Medical supervision was carried out by the Medical Staff
and non-medical supervision by the Matron of the Maternity
Hospital until 30th September, 1951, afterwards by the Superintendent
of the District Nurses' Home.
The following table shows the work done by Midwives (including those employed at Thorpe Coombe Maternity Hospital) during 1951 :—
| No. of confinements attended as a Midwife | 1,421 |
| „ confinements attended as a Maternity Nurse | 292 |
| Medical Aid Notices sent | 576 |
| ,, Twin Births Notified | 15 |
| ,, Triplet Births Notified | — |
| Stillbirths Notified | 4 |
| „ Notifiications of Liability to be a source of Infection | 4 |
| „ Notifications of Laying-out a Dead Body | — |
| Notifications of Artificial Feeding | 12 |
| „ Notifications of Disinfection | 4 |
The previous table includes the following numbers in regard to work done at Thorpe Coombe Maternity Hospital :—
| Midwifery cases | 1,102 |
| Maternity cases | 125 |
| Medical Aid Notices | 495 |
The percentage of Medical Aid Notices were :—
| All cases | 33.1 |
| Maternity Hospital Midwives | 40.3 |
| Other Midwives | 16.6 |
The conditions for which Medical Aid was summoned by Midwives in domiciliary practice and private nursing homes have been summarised and are as follows :—
| For complications during pregnancy :— | |
| Miscarriage | 1 |
| Albuminuria | 2 |
| Antepartum haemorrhage | 3 |
| Abortion | — |
| Other conditions | 6 |
| Total | 12 |