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THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON
Public Health Department,
Hornton Street,
Kensington, W. 8.
1st June, 1955.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Royal Borough of Kensington.
My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have much pleasure in presenting the Annual Report
on the state of the public health in Kensington for 1954.
The Minister of Health has again requested (Circular 28/54)
that the report should be in the same form as has been the
case for some years past.
The public health in Kensington during the year under
review was maintained at a satisfactory standard.
Population. The Registrar-General's estimate
(170,600) of the population of the borough for 1954 shows
a decrease compared with the figure for the previous year
(171.500). The actual population figure for Kensington
obtained as a result of the 195.1 Census was 168,160.
Birth rate. The number of births per 1,000 population
of the borough was 15.9 in 1954, which was 0.5 higher than
the figure recorded for the previous year. The Kensington
birth rate was higher than that for the County of London
(15.24) and higher than that for the whole of England and
Wales (15.2).
(In order to compare the Kensington birth rate with
the rates for other areas, the Registrar-General has supplied
an area comparability factor (0.71) which reduces the actual
birth rate for Kensington for comparison purposes to 11.3.)
Death rate. The number of deaths per 1,000 population
was 9.63, which is the lowest ever recorded for Kensington.
This figure is lower than the death rate for the County of
London (10.68) and that for England and Wales (11.3).
(The Registrar-General's area comparability factor for
the Kensington death rate is 1.00 and thus there is no
adjustment this year for comparison purposes with other
authorities.)
Infant death rate. This rate for 1954 was 22.5
showing an increase of 2.8 over the figure for 1953 (19.7)
which was the lowest ever recorded in Kensington. (The
infant death rate for 1954 in the County of London was 21.0
and England and Wales 25.5.)
Maternal death rate. Two deaths nf mothers due to
childbirth were recorded in 1954, giving a maternal death
rate of mothers per 1,000 live and still births of 0.72.
(The maternal mortality rate for England and Wales in
1954 was 0.69 and the figure for the County of London was
0. 66. )