Lost_Hospitals_of

VOLUNTARY HOSPITALS

MATERNITY HOSPITALS

The earliest example of a maternity hospital in London was the British Lying-In Hospital in 1747. High rates of puerperal fever (much higher than in general hospitals) closed many of them down. Most women had their babies at home.

The Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, required local authorities to provide maternity facilities in homes and clinics, where small rooms rather than large wards were provided.

Maternity wards became increasingly common in general and cottage hospitals during the 1920s and 1930s.

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LOST HOSPITALS OF LONDON
	A brief history of healthcare provision in London

	VOLUNTARY HOSPITALS MATERNITY HOSPITALS The earliest example of a maternity hospital in London was the British Lying-In Hospital in 1747. High rates of puerperal fever (much higher than in general hospitals) closed many of them down. Most women had their babies at home. The Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918, required local authorities to provide maternity facilities in homes and clinics, where small rooms rather than large wards were provided. Maternity wards became increasingly common in general and cottage hospitals during the 1920s and 1930s. Next section: Mental hospitals Previous section: Infant Welfare Centres Return to Contents list
	References Barry G, Carruthers LA 2005 A History of Britain's Hospitals. Sussex, Book Guild Publishing. Cody LF 2004 Living and dying in Georgian London's lying-in hospitals. Bulletin of the History of Medicine 78, 309-348.
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