London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hammersmith 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hammersmith Borough]
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9
(a) Population:
Once again the Registrar-General's estimated population figure shows a
decrease, the figure for 1963 of 107,660 being 460 less than the previous year.
| Year | Population | Excess of Births over Deaths | Year | Population | Excess of Births over Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | 89,190 | 370 | 1954 | 116,500 | 705 |
| 1945 | 96,100 | 434 | 1955 | 114,700 | 462 |
| 1946 | 111,860 | 974 | 1956 | 113,300 | 529 |
| 1947 | 117,280 | 1,190 | 1957 | 111,700 | 657 |
| 1948 | 115,800 | 847 | 1958 | 110,200 | 786 |
| 1949 | 118,440 | 662 | 1959 | 108,900 | 767 |
| 1950 | 119,200 | 691 | 1960 | 108,290 | 1,007 |
| 1951 | 118,300 | 377 | 1961 | 108,010 | 1,017 |
| 1952 | 118,800 | 420 | 1962 | 108,120 | 1,079 |
| 1953 | 117,600 | 543 | 1963 | 107,660 | 1,156 |
(b) Births:
The corrected number of births was 1,294 males, 1,167 females giving a total
of 2,461 compared with 2,366 in 1962. This gives an annual rate of 22.9 per
thousand of the population. The actual increase in numbers of 95 was composed
of 80 legitimate and 15 illegitimate births.
The increase in illegitimate births has continued unabated since 1955 when the
number was 133, comprising 7.8% of the total live births. This year the number
has increased to 383 and the percentage is 15.6%.
5,961 births were registered in Hammersmith during 1963. Queen Charlotte's
Hospital had 3,368 births and Hammersmith Hospital 2,341; only 252 other births
were registered.
Most of the births in the hospitals were in respect of non-residents and these
were transferred to their home towns.
(c) Deaths:
Deaths registered during the year numbered 1,478. From this figure must be
deducted 685 in respect of non-residents transferred to their home towns. To
counter-balance this must be added a total of 512 residents of the Borough who
died in other parts of England. This gives the corrected figure of deaths as 1,305,
comprising 665 males and 640 females.
It should be mentioned that of the outward transferable deaths, 626 occurred
in three of the large hospitals within the Borough.
Once again our death rate is increased by 11 deaths, in hospital, of patients
from such far-away places as Cyprus, Portugal, Ceylon, U.S.A., Malta, Iraq, Cairo
and Calcutta.
The Registrar-General rules that where there is no place of residence in the
British Isles the authority for the area where death occurs accepts the death.