View report page

To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
Metropolitan Borough of Holborn.
This report on the health of the inhabitants of the Borough in 1948 is
again an abridged one, prepared in accordance with the requirements of the
Ministry of Health.
It will be seen from the report that the year under review was again a
satisfactory one from the health point of view.
The birth rate of 14.46 per 1,000 of the population shows a further increase
on last year and on the pre-war years. This is encouraging in view of the fact
that the birth rate for England and Wales shows a decline on the two previous
years.
The death rate of 11.34 per 1,000 of the population is, with the exception
of 1938, the lowest recorded in the history of the Borough.
The infant mortality rate of 19.39 was not only the lowest in the history
of the Borough, but was considerably better than the previous lowest figure of
35.5 in 1947.
On the 5th July, 1948, the National Health Service Act came into operation,
and the control of the Borough's Maternity and Child Welfare Services
passed to the London County Council.
Part of the Tuberculosis Services, including the Chest Clinic, passed to the
Regional Hospital Board, and part, including the Tuberculosis Care Committee
work, passed to the London County Council. The tuberculosis notification
registers, measures for the prevention of tuberculosis, and supervision of the
environment of tuberculous persons remain with the Borough Council.
Despite some improvement in supplies of building materials and some
relaxation in connection with the issue of building licences, the work of sanitary
improvement and repair during the year remained handicapped by various
restrictions, so that the standard achieved has again not been as high as one
would wish.
Under the National Assistance Act, 1948, the Borough Council has now
taken over from the London County Council responsibility for the burial of