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 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Tottenham]
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56
The question of increasing the number of midwives is very pressing and a new
concept of the midwife's hours of duty must be envisaged. The time of the midwife
remaining on duty for 24 hours a day must go for with the increased pressure of work
fatigue becomes an increasingly important factor. It is becoming more and more
obvious that a day and night service is required.
During 1961 the number of midwives varied between six to nine and 842 women were
delivered, 14,795 post-natal visits were paid and there were 160 early discharges from
from hospital who received 1,439 visits. Because of the shortage of staff it became
necessary to refuse to take all the early discharges the hospitals wished to send home
and the majority of the 160 mentioned are patients booked for home confinements and
sent to hospital for delivery by the midwife.
There is a large and seemingly increasing number of pregnant women who move into
the Area almost at term, having made no prior arrangements for their confinement.
These women must be delivered at home or sent to hospital by their general medical
practitioner through the Emergency Bed Service Scheme, The latter is often found to
be impossible and when there is delay in obtaining a bed the midwife must undertake
the delivery.
In spite of pressure of work the midwives have continued to attend their ante-natal
clinics and also to attend at clinics held by several general practitioners. These
clinics make valuable contact between doctor, midwife and patient.
The table is given below showing the work for the past three years.
| 1961 | 1960 | 1959 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of deliveries attended | 842 | 792 | 640 |
| Number of visits made | 14795 | 15223 | 13572 |
| Number of hospital confinements discharged before 14th day | 160 | 143 | 231 |
| Number of visits made | 1439 | 1288 | 2424 |
| Number of cases in which medical aid was summoned | 265 | 282 | 287 |
| Number of cases in which gas and air analgesia was administered | 402 | 508 | 470 |
| Number of cases in which pethidine was administered | 510 | 481 | 418 |
| Number of cases in which trichloroethylene was administered | 380 | 189 | 121 |
| Number of cases in which gas and air and tricloroe thylene were administered | 11 | 32 | - |
HEALTH VISITING SERVICE
(Sections 24 and79)
The establishment of Health visitors/school nurses remained fairly stationary
during the year as it had acquired the maximum number of staff allowed for this Area.
The fraction (four elevenths) which is cast as the proportion to be included in the
establishment f6r each student health visitor did not affect the number of health
visitors here since no sponsored student was engaged.