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7
Health Department,
Town Hall, Greenwich, S.E.10.
May, 1939.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my report for the year 1938, in
accordance with Circular 1728 of the Ministry of Health.
During the year under review greatly increased duties in
connection with the Air Raids Precautions scheme of the Council
have devolved on the Department. In addition, the occupation of
temporary quarters involving a degree of overcrowding has
rendered heavier the work of the staff, and made difficult the
task of administration. Notwithstanding the difficulties encountered,
reference to the various statistics will indicate that the
health services have not suffered, and it is gratifying to be able
to report again that the health of the Borough is satisfactory.
The Infantile Mortality rate is the lowest ever recorded for
the Borough, and the Maternal Mortality rate is similar to last
year. Both figures are very far below those recorded for the Country
as a whole.
The general Death Rate of 11.1 compares favourably with
the figure of 12.05 returned for the previous year. The average
for the past 10 years is 11.61.
I regret to have to report a further decline in the Birth Rate,
the figure for the current year being 13.64 per 1,000 of the population,
as compared with a figure of 13.86 for the previous year.
The population shows a decrease of 220 persons according to
the estimate of the Registrar General. In previous reports attention
has been drawn to the tendency towards population decline—a
tendency which it is possible the approaching census may prove
to have been apparent rather than real.
Progress in connection with the replacement of the old Borough
Hall Welfare Centre and the provision of additional facilities in
the Kidbrooke district was interrupted during the year. Although
under the circumstances it would be impossible to proceed rapidly,
there is no doubt that in view of the overcrowding which exists
in connection with some of the other clinics, the matter is one of
urgency.
The Foot Clinics continue to perform a public service. Early
in the year an appointment system was introduced with success
to overcome difficulties regarding waiting and overlapping with
Infant Welfare and Ante-Natal sessions. The increased numbers