London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Ealing 1962

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]

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Northolt Grange Community Centre, Northolt Tues. 2—4 p.m.
Laurel House, Windmill Road, Ealing, W.5 Mon. Thurs. 2—4 p.m.
Mattock Lane, 13 Mattock Lane, Ealing, W.5 Mon. Wed. Fri. 2—4 p.m.
Perivale, Horsenden Lane, Greenford Mon. Thurs. 2—4 p.m.
Ravenor Park, Oldfield Lane, Greenford Mon. Wed. Fri. 2—4 p.m.
Ravenor Park Clinic has been closed since early in the year for rebuilding, and
ante-natal and child welfare sessions are being held in the Methodist Church Hall,
Greenford.
HOME NURSING SERVICE
There are 21 full-time Home Nurses and 8 part-time Home Nurses in Ealing,
including two male nurses. During the year a total of 63,942 visits was made to
2,901 patients.
The object of the service is to supply nursing care for those whose illness can be
as well, or even sometimes better treated at home as in hospital. An increasing
amount of the work is concerned with the elderly in helping to keep them in the
community.
Last year 56% of patients were over 65 years of age and this, together with the
increasing number suffering from cardio-vascular disabilities has resulted in the
need for lengthier visits. A further time consuming, although rewarding task, is
the rehabilitation of disabled patients, a task which has increasingly fallen to home
nurses.
The services of a home nurse are available at the request of the patient's medical
practitioner or hospital medical officer. Application should be made to the Area
Medical Officer, Town Hall Annexe, Ealing, W.5.
DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY SERVICE
There is a staff of 14 midwives in Ealing.
There were 846 home confinements in Ealing in 1962 compared with 787 in 1961,
which is in keeping with the National trend. The number of pupil midwives who
received district training during the year was 27.
Patients suitable for home confinement are those who it is expected will have an
uncomplicated delivery and whose home circumstances are satisfactory. Because
of the extra demand for maternity hospital beds a part-time domiciliary midwife
has been appointed to nurse midwifery patients who can be discharged from hospital
48 hours after delivery. These patients are very carefully selected and are discharged
only if both mother and baby are fit.
This arrangement has reduced the number of maternity patients who have to be
admitted to hospital through the emergency bed service.
Consideration has recently been given to the care of babies born prematurely
at home and a heated portable incubator, with facilities for the administration of
oxygen, is now available to transport premature infants from home to hospital.
The incubator is kept at the Boston Road Ambulance Station from where it can
be sent to any part of the Borough where it is required.
Applications for the services of a midwife should be made through a Maternity
and Child Welfare Clinic.
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