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5
Public Health Offices,
Town Hall,
Greenwich, S.E.10.
28th August, 1946.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit the report for 1945; it is compiled on standard
lines and contains more detail than the preceding interim records
but is not, of course, as comprehensive as those for the pre-war
years, the last of which appeared for 1938.
Up to his resignation in November, Dr. Charles Porter, during
the absence on active service of your Medical Officer of Health, was
responsible for the administration of the Department.
The cessation of hostilities brought into high relief the cumulative
problems of Health and Housing. It is gratifying to note that,
despite the immensity of the difficulties, a satisfactory watch has
been kept in the Borough and great credit is due to the staff of the
Department whose effort is reflected in the record presented.
During the year, the Casualty Services, which acquitted themselves
well in the framework of the Council's Civil Defence Scheme,
were disbanded and arrangements made for the handing over of
equipment and premises.
Turning to statistics, it is gratifying to record that the Birth
Rate continues its upward trend and compares favourably with
that for the preceding year. At 18.5 per 1,000 population it stands
well against the figure of 13.6 for 1938. This tendency towards
an increasing Birth Rate points to the necessity of retaining and
even supplementing the Council's already comprehensive Maternity
and Child Welfare service.
The Death Rate is lower than 1944 and the Infantile Mortality
Rate is well below that for the County of London and the country
as a whole.
Notification of Infectious Disease was again pleasingly low,
and it will also be seen that reference is made to an improvement
in the Diphtheria Immunisation figures for the second half of the
year.
From Midsummer onwards, Maternity and Child Welfare
Clinics functioned on a pre-war basis and further sessions were
added, where possible, to meet the increasing demand.