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
Lewisham 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham Borough]
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LUNG CANCER
Health Education was continued with the object of discouraging cigarette smoking,
but it is an uphill battle which will go on without let-up until lung cancer ceases
to be of any significance as a cause of death.
Table 3 LUNG CANCER
| Year | All cancer deaths | Lung cancer deaths | (c)os % of{b) | All cancer deaths | Lung cancer deaths | (/) as % of(e) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | (f) | (g) |
| 1962 | 408 | 186 | 286 | 24 | 8 | |
| 1963 | 351 | 163 | 46 | 296 | 27 | 9 |
| 1964 | 422 | 201 | 48 | 304 | 34 | 11 |
| 1965 | 428 | 204 | 48 | 313 | 31 | 10 |
| 1966 | 403 | 169 | 42 | 308 | 36 | 12 |
| 1967 | 435 | 196 | 45 | 328 | 42 | 13 |
| 1968 | 390 | 171 | 44 | 301 | 43 | 14 |
| 1969 | 414 | 194 | 47 | 342 | 47 | 14 |
| 1970 | 417 | 194 | 47 | 364 | 54 | 15 |
| 1971 | 433 | 208 | 48 | 358 | 57 | 16 |
LOCAL SICKNESS
The Regional Controller of the Department of Health and Social Security sends a
weekly return indicating the first certificates of sickness benefit received in the
local offices. The areas served by these local offices are in the main coterminous
with postal districts of London and do not coincide with borough boundaries.
Lewisham is served mainly by three offices, "Lewisham", "Downham" and
"Deptford", and a fair representation of the trend of sickness within the borough
can be given by quoting the combined figures of these three.
Table 4
MORBIDITY SHOWN IN INSURANCE CERTIFICATES
| Weekly average for period ending | 1970 | 1971 |
|---|---|---|
| January 26 | 2,336 | 1,209 |
| February 23 | 1,097 | 790 |
| March 23 | 1,139 | 988 |
| April 20 | 1,001 | 881 |
| May 18 | 924 | 880 |
| June 15 | 790 | 696 |
| July 13 | 665 | 767 |
| August 10 | 743 | 716 |
| September 7 | 699 | 652 |
| October 5 | 869 | 799 |
| November 2 | 1.013 | 887 |
| November 30............................ | 952 | 895 |
| December 28............................ | 738 | 860 |
Weekly average for the year 1970 997
Weekly average for the year 1971 848
16