[Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Bolton County Borough.

  • Bolton (Greater Manchester, England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1937
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Bolton County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    47/164 (page 29)
    The services provided by the municipal midwives include prepara- tion for confinement, attendance during confinement, and daily visiting for 14 da^’S after confinement. Tlie Corporation does not undertake to ])rovide the services of a particular midwife, although all reasonable efforts are made to supply the expectant mother with the midwife of her choice. The fees charged do not allow for the services of a medical practitioner nor for any hospital treatment which may be necessary. 2—Ln'stitutional Midwifery. (a) Townleys Hospital. There has been a rapid and progressive increase in the number of confinements in Townleys Hospital in the last ten years. The hospital has a modern and efficient maternity unit of 56 beds. A further 20 beds are available if required for ante-natal cases. Two ante-natal clinics are held weeklj'. During the year 1,361 patients made 4,836 attendances. Of the patients attending, 932 were Bolton cases making 3,565 atten- dances. More accommodation is required to allow of further clinics. The rooms at present used for this purpose are fully occupied during the rest of the week for other purposes. The ante-natal clinics are conducted by the medical officers of the hospital. The maternity unit admits both “ booked ” cases and emergency cases from the district. It serves the area of the old Bolton Union. All the cases in the hospital arc delivered under the supervision of the medical staff. The following particulars relate to the cases admitted during 1937 from Bolton and from the countv areas served. Approximately 70'’;, of the cases were from Bolton. No. of beds used for maternity cases . . . . . . 82 No. of cases admitted .. .. .. .. .. 1,204 .\verage duration of stay in days . . . . . . 14 No. of cases notified as— (a) Puerperal fever . . . . . . . . 9 (b) * *Puerperal pyrexia . . . . . . 3 *i.e. rise of temperature to 100-4°F. for 24 hours, or recurrence within that period. No. of cases of pemphigus neonatorum . . . . 4 No. of infants not entirely breast fed whilst in hospital. . 140 No. of cases of ophthalmia neonatorum . . . . Nil No. of maternal deaths .. . . . . . . .. 13 No. of infant deaths .. .. .. .. .. 131 (a) Stillborn .. .. .. .. .. ..93 (b) Within 10 days of birth .. .. ..38