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
Hackney 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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There were 18 creches held each week at 5 maternal and child welfare centres. During the year, however, the 3 creches held at the Richmond Road maternal and child welfare centre had to be closed because of the difficulty in obtaining staff.
| Centre | No. of sessions | Total attendances |
|---|---|---|
| Barton House | 104 | 2,001 |
| Elsdale Street | 126 | 1,195 |
| Richmond Road | 88 | 765 |
| John Scott Health Centre | 506 | 6,653 |
| Total | 824 | 10,614 |
SECTION 23 - MIDWIFERY SERVICES
The Authority is under a statutory obligation to provide midwifery services
for those mothers who must or wish to have their babies at home.
The new London Borough of Hackney took over four midwives from the London
County Council, three from the previous voluntary District Nursing Association,
and in addition used on an agency basis five midwives attached to the Mothers'
Hospital. As from the 1st April, the District Nursing Associations ceased to
exist as far as this Borough was concerned, and their midwives are now directly
employed by the Council.
fortunately in this borough facilities for hospital
confinements are good, but I set out below a table showing the numbers of domiciliary confinements.
| Confinements | Doctor booked | Given Analgesia | Discharged to midwife before 10th day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council midwives | 346 | 331 | 288 | 80 |
| Hospital district midwives | 323 | 270 | 251 | 69 |
| Total | 669 | 601 | 539 | 149 |
The Authority is a supervising authority under the Midwives Act, 1951,
and employs a non-medical supervisor of midwives, although because of the
difficulty of obtaining a suitably qualified person to fill this post for part
of the time dispensation was given to the Authority to work on the basis of a
medical supervisor of midwives, and this was undertaken by one of the staff of
the Health Department.
All midwives are required to send each year to all the authorities in
whose areas they are intending to practise, notification of their intention to
do so. During the year under review 127 such notifications were received.
The Council is also required to pay fees to medical practitioners who are
not booked but are called in by midwives in an emergency.
There is a local Maternity Liaison Committee composed of members of the
consultant and nursing staff at the various hospitals, as well as the Medical
Officer of Health and the Principal Medical Officer (M. & C. W.) This committee
discusses problems on discharge notification forms, question of time of discharge,
etc., as and when these subjects may arise.