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
Bethnal Green 1941
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green Borough]
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AC4366
BET 46
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Patriot Square,
Bethnal Green,E.2.
May, 1942.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Appropriately to the circumstances of the time, I
furnish an interim report on the health of the borough and
the work of the Public Health Department, which is brief in
extent, and only deals with a few salient features, leaving
a full account to follow after the War. As, however, we are
now in the third year of war, it has appeared desirable to
furnish a few comparative figures for recent years so that
the Council may note the extent of some of the changes which
are taking place.
VITAL STATISTICS. Comparing the 3 years, during the whole or part of which the war has been raging, with the average of the 3 preceding years, we have the following figures
| 1936 - 8 (average) | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Rate | 12.2 | 11.5 | 20.1 | 20.5 |
| Infant Death Rate | 70 + | 51 | 50 | 62 |
| Birth Rate | 13.7 | 12.8 | 15.1 | 17.0 |
| Meternal Mortality Rate | 1.9 | 1.7 | Nil | 1.5 |
+ Greatly influenced by abnormally high rate of 98 for 1936.
It should be borne in mind that the continual shifting of
population which has taken place during recent years makes it
difficult to interpret differences in the rates.
The Registrar-General has given 47,480 as his estimate of the
civilian population for the year 1941.
MATERNITY AND AND CHILD WELFARE.
With a much depleted staff, the essential work of this
branch of the health service has been continued without
break. It has been necessary to suspend the operation of
such adjuncts as light and inhalation treatment and massage.
The Dental Clinic was closed in 1940, but it has recently
(1942) been found necessary to arrange with the Shoreditch
Dental Clinic for our cases to be dealt with there.
Evacuation, and to a less extent, the disturbance of
normal family routine, are responsible for the very considerable
falling off in attendances of mothers and children at
the Welfare Centre, as shown in the figures below. The
work of the health visitors shows similar reduction.