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 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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16
CARE OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN
ANTE-NATAL CARE
The amount of ante-natal care provided by the Local Authority in
Hackney is now greatly reduced. The general practitioner obstetricians
were asked for their views on the future management of the few women
who do attend Health Department ante-natal clinics for intermediate care .
It was agreed that the women should transfer to the general practitioner
obstetrician for this care. It was thought that many of the Council's
ante-natal clinics could be either discontinued or held at longer
intervals. By the end of the year these clinics had been practically
phased out, the general practitioner obstetricians having agreed to
co-operate for odd emergencies. This is in line with recommendations
in the Peel Report that Ante-Natal and Post Natal Care, at present
given by the Local Authority Medical Officers should be increasingly
rendered by the general practitioner obstetrician.
Arrangements were made that the general practitioner obstetrician could submit a claim for payment to the Inner London Executive Council.
| Centre | No. of sessions | Number of women who attended for | Total attendances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ante-natal examination | Post-natal examination | |||
| Barton House | 8 | 22 | 15 | 105 |
| Elsdale Street | 21 | 13 | 103 | 132 |
| John Scott | 13 | 10 | 7 | 51 |
| Lower Clapton | 12 | 16 | 68 | 142 |
| Richmond Road | 48 | 113 | 155 | 480 |
| Shoreditch | 8 | 6 | 18 | 32 |
| Upper Clapton | 48 | 56 | 56 | 286 |
| Total | 158 | 236 | 422 | 1228 |
Education classes have been held for expectant mothers. The
subjects dealt with include the education of women for labour, the
care of their health during pregnancy and also many aspects of the care
of their young babies such as sewing and dress making. Attendances at
these classes have continued to drop due to the falling birth rate.
The number of women who attended during 1971 is shown below:-
Number of sessions 101
Number of women who attended 41
Total attendances 765