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116
Irrespective of the area of occurrence, births and deaths art
always referred to the area of residence for statistical purposes and
it would be logical if notifications of infectious diseases were similarly
treated.
The total number of Infectious Diseases notified under Section
144 of the Public Health Act, 1936, Section 192 of the Public
Health (London) Act, 1936, and associated Orders and Regulations
was 1,056. Under the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations,
1952. there were 46 notifications, giving a consolidated total of
1,102 cases notified during the year. The following table indicates
the figures for the previous ten years:—
Year No. of corrected notifications
1949 1,335
1950 1,644
1951 2,266
1952 1,565
1953 1,242
1954 569
1955 2,120
1956 844
1957 1,558
1958 607
10-year average 1,375
1959 1,102
Particulars of age groups and districts affected are shown in
the table at the end of this Report.
National Insurance Act, 1946.—From time to time it is
necessary for the Medical Officer of Health to insist that a suspected
'carrier' of, or a person in contact with, an infectious disease should
be precluded from working in order that the risk of transmission
of the disease is minimised. This is especially necessary when the
person concerned is a 'food handler.'
Regulation 3(b) of the National Insurance (Unemployment
and Sickness Benefit) Regulations, 1948, made under the above
Act, enables any person so excluded to claim sickness benefit on
production of a certificate issued by the Medical Officer of Health.
In the Ministry of Health Circular 115/48 it has been suggested
that the Medical Officer of Health should be prepared to furnish
such a certificate if, in his opinion, circumstances are such that this
action becomes necessary.