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
Southall 1943
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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Institutional Provision for Unmarried Mothers, Illegitimate Infants and
Homeless Children in the District.
None.
Ultra-Violet Light Clinic.
The clinic for the treatment of expectant mothers and children by Ultra-Violet Light
is held at the Manor House twice a week, from October to May. There has been overcrowding
at, and a long waiting list for, this clinic, and it is proposed to increase the facilities
by providing a new lamp at the Branch Health Centre. Treatment by this method, in the
majority of cases, has produced definite improvement in the general condition of patients. All
patients are weighed at the commencement and finish of a course of treatment, and these
comparative weights have been highly satisfactory in a large proportion of the cases treated.
Table C.
Number of sessions held: 30.
| Number of attendances:— | First Visits. | Re-visits. |
|---|---|---|
| Mothers | 5 | 56 |
| Infants | 130 | 1,275 |
Post-Natal and Birth Control Clinic.
Table D.
Number of sessions held : 22.
| Number of attendances:— | Post-Natal. | Birth Control. |
|---|---|---|
| First Visits | 100 | 34 |
| Re-attendances | 93 | 112 |
The post-natal clinic is of great value in preventing chronic ill-health in mothers.
Small difficulties discovered and remedied at the post-natal clinic can have an immensely
beneficial effect on the permanent physical condition of these patients, and it is desirable
that, after the war, the facilities for post-natal examinations should be increased in the
borough.
Ante-Natal Clinics.
The number of new patients seen at the ante-natal clinics during the year was 674,
and the total number of attendances was 3,822 (2,141 at the Manor House and 1,681 at the
Branch Centre).
551 cases were completed during the year, and the attendances in respect 01 these were as follows:—
| No. of Cases. | |
|---|---|
| One attendance | 46 |
| Two attendances | 34 |
| Three attendances | 44 |
| Four attendances | 53 |
| Five attendances | 56 |
| Six or more attendances | 302 |
| No attendance | 16 |
For table of comparison of figures for last eight years, and the proportion of new cases
to re-visits, see Appendix Table X.
The total number of attendances at the ante-natal clinics again show an increase
over that of 1942. From these figures, which showed a great increase also in 1942, it can
be observed that the ante-natal clinics are becoming somewhat overcrowded, and considera-
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