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Public Health Department,
Deptford Town Hall, $.E.14.
August, 1956.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present my Annual Report on the health and environmental
circumstances of Deptford.
The population continues to decline and is now estimated at 72,890 for
the mid-year, but the death rate of 11.7 is a slight improvement on last
year, and of course is still handicapped by the numbers of non-residents
dying in the old people's wards in the New Cross General Hospital.
The birth rate declined from 14.72 to 14.3 per 1,000 living but the
Infantile Mortality Rate reached the lowest ever in the history of the
Borough. The figure of 11.4 per 1,000 live births compares with 16.5 last
year, and must be about the lowest in the country. With such small
numbers involved it is erroneous to place too much reliance on statistics
for one year, but considering that twenty-five years ago the figure was 53,
the many agencies concerned with maternity and child care have cause to
feel gratified, because although these great advances are in part a reflection
of improved living standards, these services have made major contributions
to this gratifying result.
In common with general experience throughout the country, deaths
from carcinoma of the lung and bronchus continue to increase as did
diseases affecting the heart and vascular system.
Deaths from Tuberculosis declined from 20 to 14; a trend due to the
great advances which have been made in recent years in the treatment of
the disease. There is no sign, however, that Tuberculosis is becoming less
prevalent, and in fact there was an increase in primary notifications from
156 to 164.
Dr. Rigby, the Chest Physician, has been good enough to send me an
account of work of the Chest Clinic, together with information about his
investigations in Carrington House.
It is disturbing to note that 30 per cent of the cases found at the Common
Lodging House were from Ireland. It seems desirable that more positive
measures should be taken to ensure that only healthy individuals are
allowed to enter the United Kingdom as permanent citizens for it is in the
early years when they are establishing themselves that they are most likely
to have to live in overcrowded and insanitary conditions, which favour
the spread of a community disease like Tuberculosis among the susceptible.
An account is also included of the Mass Radiography Unit which
visited Deptford from 18th to 24th July, and 26th July to 2nd August.
The large increase in the total of Infectious Diseases notifications is due
almost entirely to the incidence of measles, of which there were 1,036 cases
notified. There was a slight increase in Whooping Cough from 91 to 114,
but there was little food poisoning or dysentery. It is pleasing to report
the absence of Diphtheria from Deptford.