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 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
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Table II.
Analysis of cases attended by midwives.
| Classification of midwives. | Average number of midwives throughout the year. | Attended as | Total cases. | Percent. of local births. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwife. | Maternity nurse. | ||||
| I. Births in the homes. | |||||
| (1) Midwives in practice. (a) Private midwives (resident in West Ham) | 3 | 140 | 23 | 163 | 3.07 |
| (b) Private midwives (resident outside West Ham). | 3 | 27 | 2 | 29 | 0.55 |
| (c) Certificated and on register but did not work. | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| (2) Midwives employed by nursing associations. | |||||
| (a) Plaistow Maternity Hospital and District Nurses' Home. | 15 | 1,242 | 173 | 1,415 | 26.67 |
| (b) Queen Mary's Hospital. | 2 | 202 | 2 | 204 | 3.85 |
| (c) Mothers' Hospital Branch Home, 19. Chandler Road, E.16. | 2 | 163 | 11 | 174 | 3.28 |
| (d) Essex County Nursing Association. | 8 | 69 | 32 | 101 | 1.90 |
| (e) Silvertown and North Woolwich District Nursing Assoc. | 2 | 66 | 1 | 67 | 1.26 |
| Total in homes | 37 | 1,909 | 244 | 2,153 | 40.58 |
| II. Births in institution | |||||
| (1) Private nursing homes | 2 | — | 17 | 17 | 0.32 |
| (2) Maternity hospitals (a) Forest Gate Hospital | 5 | 855 | 52 | 907 | 17.11 |
| (b) Plaistow Maternity. | 11 | 1,117 | 88 | 1,205 | 22.72 |
| (c) Queen Mary's | 5 | 890 | 106 | 996 | 18.77 |
| Total in institutions | 23 | 2,862 | 263 | 3,125 | 58.92 |
| Grand total | 60 | 4,771 | 507 | 5,278 | 99.50 |