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
West Ham 1928
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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| Found to be eligible (under council's Scale of Income). | 825 |
| Found to be ineligible (under Council's Scale of Income). | 119 |
| Applications withdrawn | 10 |
| Total . | 954 |
The value of this service is, firstly, in saving many mothers
from getting up too soon after confinement to attend to household
duties (with resulting debility and chronic iii-health due to
pelvic trouble) ; and, secondly, in supervising any other children
of the household while the mother is laid up.
Midwives.
Total number who notified their intention to practice in the
Borough in 1928, 90; all of whom are trained.
Number of cases attended by midwives in 1928, 4,963.
Number of cases in which Medical Help was summoned, 735.
Seventy-two per cent, of the births in the Borough in 1928
were attended by midwives, as against fifty-seven per cent, in 1927.
They have made excellent use of the antenptal clinics available for examination of their patients, besides undertaking antenatal supervision themselves.
| Midwives practising for Associations or Privately | Number notifying intention to practise | No. of births attended | No. of Records of sending for Medical aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaistow Maternity Charity | 48 | 3078 | 509 |
| Essex County Nursing Assn. | 17 | 66 | 17 |
| Salvation Army Nurses | 3 | 183 | 51 |
| Tate Nurses Institute | 4 | 166 | 36 |
| Queen Mary's Hospital (External) | 7 | 160 | 26 |