London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wanstead and Woodford 1944

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wanstead and Woodford]

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7
Hospital, under the control of the Waltham Joint Hospital Board.
Since November, 1936, the Waltham Joint Hospital Board have been
filling to admit, in addition to Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria, cases of the
following diseases: —
Complicated cases of Measles, Whooping Cough, Influenza and
Pneumonia;
The acute infectious diseases of the nervous system, Meningitis,
Poliomyelitis and Encephalitis;
Typhoid and Paratyphoid Fevers;
Dysentery, Erysipelas and Ophthalmia Neonatorum;
Puerperal Pyrexia.
Smallpox.—The London County Council are prepared to receive cases
Smallpox from this area into the London Smallpox Hospital so long as
They have sufficient accommodation available.
Maternity and Child Welfare:—
(1) Midwifery and Maternity Services—We now have four Municipal
Midwives working in the district, an additional Midwife having been
appointed; she began duty on 15th April. Except for ante-natal visiting
they devote the whole of their time to midwifery.
The number of cases attended by them was as follows:—
(a) As Midwives 189
(b) As Maternity Nurses 53
Number of visits paid by these Midwives:—
(a) Number of cases 242
(b) Ante-natal visits 1,189
(c) Nursing visits 3,654
Ante-natal Supervision.—This is given to all women attended by the
Municipal Midwives and in every case one or more examinations are made
and if necessary treatment is given by a doctor of the patient's choice. In
necessitous cases the fees for the medical services are paid by the Council.
In 1944 payments were made to medical practitioners in 6 cases'.
Ante-natal Clinic.
In April, 1944, an ante-natal clinic was opened at 118 Hermon Hill.
There are two sessions weekly, on Tuesday, attended by Dr. Sylvia Ashton,
and on Thursday, attended by Dr. Mary Fox. The sessions are also
attended by the Midwives and Health Visitors. Up to the end of the year
245 cases were registered, and the total attendances numbered 562.
Every effort is made to encourage the mothers to attend after confinement
for post-natal examination.
Cousultant.—Mr. Alan Brews, F.R.C.S., is the Consulting Obstetric
Surgeon to the Borough.
(2) Institutional Provision for Mothers or Children.—Over 50 per
cent — 666 out of 957 — births in the Borough occurred in private nursing
homes.
A substantial proportion of the mothers coming to these maternity