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TO HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR, THE ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF THE
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF PADDINGTON.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present to you my Annual Report for the year 1930 as required by
the Statutes and Orders applicable to my office.
During the year the health of the Borough continued to be good, the death-rate being
substantially lower than that of the previous year, owing to the smaller prevalence of catarrhal
and respiratory diseases. The birth-rate was slightly higher than in the previous year.
The infantile mortality showed a very welcome fall from 101 per thousand births in 1929
to 78 per thousand births last year. Paddington, however, continues to be amongst the
metropolitan boroughs with the highest infantile mortalities. During the year a careful
investigation was made by the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee into the causation of
infantile mortality. It was considered that such mortality, so far as it is excessive in Paddington,
is due to causes which are largely social and do not admit of an immediate remedy.
An important step towards securing the improvement of housing conditions in the poorer
parts of the Borough was the decision of the Council to subscribe for debenture shares of the
Paddington Houses Association, Ltd., up to an amount of £5,000, thereby enabling the
Association to extend their activities in the direction of the purchase and re-conditioning of
house property.
In December, 1930, a survey of the health services of the Borough was made by a Medical
Officer of the Ministry of Health. In the absence of any communication from the Ministry it
may be presumed that the Ministry are satisfied that a reasonable standard of efficiency and
progress in the discharge of public health functions is maintained by the Council.
I have again to express my appreciation of the loyal help of the staff of the Public Health
Department of the Council and to thank the members of the Public Health, Maternity and
Child Welfare, and Special Housing Committees for the support and kind consideration which
they have extended to me during the past year.
I have the honour to be,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
F.E. Oates.
M.D., M.R.C.P., D.P.H.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Town Hall,
Paddington Green, W. 2.
June, 1931.