London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
West Ham 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for West Ham]
This page requires JavaScript
62
Maternity Services,
Total live births notified as West Ham births during the year 1956 was 2.579 and
of these 12$ were born at home and 88$ born in hospital.
Domiciliary births within the Borough 306 )
Domiciliary births outside the Borough 3 ) 12%
Hospital births within the Borough 2,100 )
Hospital births outside the Borough 170 ) 88%
2,579
| Hospital | West Ham Residents | Total Live Births |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Gate | 937 | 1,854 |
| Plaistow Maternity | ^ ^ 1 805 | 1,057 |
| Queen Mary's | 358 | 696 |
| TOTAL: | 2,100 | 3,607 |
| Source | Number (or equivalent number) of midwives on 31.12.56 | Number of Live Births |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal Essex County Nurses' | 6 | 283 |
| Training Home | 2 | 23 |
| TOTAL: | 8 | 306 |
All the domiciliary midwives undertake the training of pupils. The midwife acted
as maternity nurse in 4 of the domiciliary confinements.
Medical Aid was summoned in 124 cases. In 83 of these help was required for the
mother only, in 40 for the baby only, and in the remaining 1 case help was summoned on
account of both mother and baby.