View report page

10
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my report on the health of the Borough for
1969, the fifth year since the London Borough came into being on the 1st April
1965. The Council and the Health Department can, I believe, look back with
some satisfaction on the progress which has been made during those years.
Initially services which had been designed on a countywide basis by the
London County Council had to be reorganised to fit the Borough's needs. In
particular this necessitated the urgent provision of two temporary junior training
schools for severely mentally handicapped children, where none existed before,
and of a maternity and child health centre to serve an area previously attached to
a centre situated in the new borough of Wandsworth. Because of the urgency of
the need all were provided by the adaptation of existing buildings. The planning
of new buildings to replace these and other unsatisfactory premises and for the
expansion and improvement of existing services has continued throughout the
period. The first two purpose-built premises - a junior training school and a
maternity and child health centre, both replacements - are expected to open
early in 1970. Also planned for over the next five years are four day nurseries
(one, additional to present provision, to be provided under the Urban Programme)
three health centres, one maternity and child health centre, a second junior
training school, an adult training centre and hostels for mentally handicapped
children and adults. Two day centres for the mentally ill, of which the Borough
has none at present, are planned in adapted premises. This will reduce dependence
on centres provided by other boroughs or by voluntary bodies as well as helping
to meet needs, at present unsatisfied, for this service.
The movement of population out of the Borough, to which I referred in
my report for 1968, has continued. Allowing for the excess of births over
deaths it appears that some 30,000 residents have moved out of the Borough
since 1965. The total population fell from 339,560 in 1965 to 325,070 in
1969 (mid-year estimates). During the same period the annual total of births
fell by about 20% from 7,439 in 1965 to 5,978 in 1969. Substantial movements
of population in and out of the Borough add to the difficulties of maintaining
essential contacts with families with children.
The proportion of confinements taking place at home has continued to
fall, and is now less than 8%, while early discharges from hospital after
confinement are increasing. Domiciliary midwives are thus spending an increasing
proportion of their time on post-natal care. This trend seems likely to lead
to a hospital-based midwifery service, with hospital midwives visiting homes to
attend the small number of women confined at home and to give post-natal
care to those discharged early from hospital.