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
Carshalton 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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Out of 781 total births, 557 took place in the following hospitals and nursing homes :—
| Live | Still | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carshalton, Beddington and Wallington District (War Memorial) Hospital | 59 | 3 | 62 |
| St. Helier Hospital | 383 | 11 | 394 |
| Other Surrey Hospitals | 73 | 3 | 76 |
| Other Hospitals | 15 | 2 | 17 |
| Private Nursing Homes | 8 | - | 8 |
| Totals | 538 | 19 | 557 |
The number of institutional confinements continues high, the
percentage having more than doubled in the last 10 years. Although
this period has been exceptionally free from maternal mortality, one
wonders whether this practice has not gone too far. There is admittedly
an aGute shortage of hospital beds for some classes of patients, particularly
elderly chronics, many of whom require constant nursing attention
and are without adequate home care. In these circumstances, it is
open to question whether the present generous allocation of beds to
maternity is making the best contribution to the medical care of the
sick population who need in-patient hospital facilities.
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