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
Richmond upon Thames 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond]
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Ante-natal Clinics
Total weekly sessions during year (midwives only present) 302
„ „ „ ,, „ (medical officer present) 212
,, „ „ „ „ at family doctors' clinics 314
Mothercraft
Mothercraft and relaxation classes were held at all clinics. A total of 617 women
attended.
Deliveries attended by Domiciliary Midwives
| Number of domiciliary confinements attended by midwives under N.H.S. arrangements. | Number of cases delivered in hospitals and other institutions but discharged and attended by domiciliary midwives before 10th day | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) |
| Doctor not booked | Doctor booked | Total | |
| — | 249 | 249 | 725 |
| This table relates to women delivered, and not, in the case of multiple births, to infants | |||
All midwives in the domiciliary midwifery service have been advised that patients,
who are to have a domiciliary confinement, should be referred to their family doctor
either for booking or for the latter to refer the patient to a practitioner on the obstetric
list.
Visits by Domiciliary Midwives
| A total of 12,487 visits were made by midwives as follows:— | |
| Ante-natal | 2,582 |
| During labour | 512 |
| Nursing, following domiciliary confinement | 3,366 |
| Nursing, following institutional discharge | 4,436 |
| Home conditions reports | 666 |
| Others | 925 |
| Total | 12,487 |
Queen Charlotte's Hospital
During May, an agreement was made with Queen Charlotte's Hospital for two
midwives to work in an honorary capacity in the hospital, with mothers booked for
early discharge. The scheme started slowly and by the end of the year the midwives
had attended five mothers in the hospital General Practitioner Unit and subsequently
at home.
Notification of intention to practise
Under the rules of the Central Midwives Board, 35 midwives notified their
intention to practise within the Borough. Nineteen of these were domiciliary midwives;
the remainder were practising in hospital.
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