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 1946

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]

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The number of ante-natal cases needing admission on
medical grounds to Hospital for varying periods in advance of
confinement is always considerably in excess of the number of
beds available for this purpose.
The work of the Post-Natal Clinic is developing and the
attendance is most satisfactory.
During the year we were pleased to welcome back to their
former duties at the Hospital the several members of the Staff
who volunteered or were called up for service in H.M. Forces.
The following table shows the admissions and confinements
at Forest Gate Hospital for a ten-year period—1937-1946.
Except for one of the war years—1941—it will be seen that the work in the Maternity Unit has progressively increased.

Table: When one realises that this has been done with much of the same ward accommodation originally provided at Forest Gate Hospital for the reception and treatment of maternity cases in the early 1920's, the present-day difficulties experienced in the adequate treatment of the patients can be readily understood.

When one realises that this has been done with much of the same ward accommodation originally provided at Forest Gate Hospital for the reception and treatment of maternity cases in the early 1920's, the present-day difficulties experienced in the adequate treatment of the patients can be readily understood.

1937193819391940194119421943194419451946
Total number of Admissions100712051177101174017541659152118432159
Number of Confinements9071077105191764715101500142916591996

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I submit the following details of the work at Forest Gate
Hospital for the year 1946, as supplied to the Ministry of
Health on Form M.C.W.96A: —
(1) Total number of admissions (including live
infants born in Hospital) 4,120
(2) Number of women confined in the Hospital 1,996
(3) Number of live births 1,961
(4) Number of still births 63
(5) Number of deaths of babies under four
weeks born in the Hospital 59
(6) Number of deaths of women confined in the
Hospital 2
(7) Average number of days' residence of women
confined in the Hospital 10.04
(8) Number of premature births (those weighing
5½ lbs. at birth or less) 137
(9) Number of Puerperal Pyrexia cases 10
(10) Number of cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum Nil
MATERNAL DEATHS. 2.
Case No. 1. Mrs. L. M., 36 years. "Intra-Peritoneal
Haemorrhage" "Complete Rupture of Uterus"
"Placenta Praevia."
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