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 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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Midwives.
Arrangements in the Council's Domiciliary Midwifery Service remained unchanged
and leaflets were issued describing the services provided. These were available at the
Manor House and the Branch Health Centre.
Midwives attended regularly at the Ante-natal clinics, where, in consultation with the
doctor, any anticipated difficulties can be discussed.
The year's total of midwives' bookings for 1947 was slightly increased to 331, as compared
with 316 in 1946.
Mothers were encouraged to arrange for home confinements in normal cases as, with
the heavy attendances at the Hillingdon County Hospital, the length of stay of normal
cases had to be reduced, and mothers returned home a few days after their confinements
to finish their immediate post-natal period in their own homes. But the social circumstances
in very many cases made it impossible even for normal cases to have their babies at home
because there was not accommodation or facilities in the houses for the undertaking of safe
delivery of the mothers.
(See Appendix, Tables XIX and XX, for information dealing with notifications relating
to Southall received from midwives resident in Southall during the year. This information
is based on material kindly supplied by the County Medical Officer of Health.)
The monthly bookings for each district are included below:—
Table F
| Districts | No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
| February | 3 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 27 |
| March | 5 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 36 |
| April | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 24 |
| May | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 35 |
| June | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 30 |
| July | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 21 |
| August | 4 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 31 |
| September | 4 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 26 |
| October | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 25 |
| November | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 21 |
| December | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 21 |
| Totals | 53 | 76 | 77 | 75 | 50 | 331 |
Maternity and Nursing Homes.
The Middlesex County Council is the local authority under the Acts relating to the
registration of maternity and other nursing homes. There are two private nursing homes
in the district.
The following information, relating to maternity and nursing homes in Southall, has
been supplied by the County Medical Officer:—
Table G
| Total number of registered nursing homes in Southall | 2 |
| Total accommodation (No. of beds) | 29 |
| Number of deletions during the year 1947 | Nil |
| Number of additional applications re registration during the year 1946 | Nil |
| Number so registered | Nil |
| Refusals or cancellations of registration | Nil |
| Number of applications for exemption of registration | Nil |
| Result of such applications | Nil |