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
Tottenham 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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66
MATERNITY SERVICE.
Hospital Provision.
This continues to be a major problem—shortage of available
beds at the Mother's Hospital and the North Middlesex Hospital
compelled many women to have a home confinement who should
have been admitted to hospital for confinement.
The following table shows the various institutions in which the confinements took place:—
| The Mothers' Hospital, Clapton— | |
| Under the Council's scheme | 115 |
| Own arrangements | 23 |
| The North Middlesex County Hospital | 319 |
| Other outside institutions | 337 |
| 30 |
Only 30 mothers were sent out of London area from Tottenham
for confinement during the year, due not to unwillingness on the
part of the mothers to leave home, but to the shortage of available
places.
Record of Municipal Midwifery Cases.
Number of deliveries 1,392
Number attended as maternity nurses 146
Primipara cases 430
Multipara cases 1,108
Ante-natal visits 2,317
Nursing visits 20,075
Deliveries by mid wives in private practice, 33
HOME HELP SERVICE.
There was still an acute shortage of suitable women willing to
act as Home Helps. Financial aid was allowed in 211 necessitous
cases, of which 87 were in need of free assistance.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
The following table shows the final results in each of the 13 cases of Puerperal Pyrexia notified during the year:—
| Domiciliary Confinements. | Occurred in Institutions outside District. | Total. | Final Results. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recovered | Died. | |||
| 5 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 1 |