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My Lord, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to sabmit my report on the public health and
sanitary conditions of the City of Westminster for the year 1944.
The report is drawn up in accordance with the requirements of
Circular No. 49/45 of the Ministry of Health and is therefore in
the abbreviated form appropriate to war conditions having regard to
preoccupation with other than public health duties and the need for
economy in paper.
At the time of writing (September 1945) Victory over
Japan has been celebrated, the hoped for complement of that earlier
day in May when Germany was overthrown. Thus in one marvellous
year the Country emerges from the darkness of the six years nightmare
of war. So much readjustment has to be made, so many threads have
to be found and rewoven. The essential public health services mere
maintained throughout the war and in some important instances had to be
expanded in accordance with conditions resulting from the War.
Further measures were put in hand for the care of maternity cases and
the welfare of children. The risk of imported infectious disease had
to be guarded against and practical measures provided for mitigating
difficulties in the home arising from winter epidemics such as
influenza. It must be remembered that up to the end of 1944 and
after, the City remained under the threat of aerial attack. Public
shelters were fully occupied and supervision of hygienic conditions
in them and the attached medical and nursing services required an
organisation to be maintained by day and by night.
As has been stated in previous wartime reports statistics,
having in mind a reduced but moving population must be accepted as
only of relative value. The address on the identity card was no
indication of permanent residence. Infants might be born in
Westminster and moved away for an indefinite period. Others born
elsewhere might be brought in. There was an almost constant flow
of population.
The birth rate, based on figures supplied by the Registrar
General shews a slight decrease from 12.6 in 1945 to 12.5 in 1944.
The general death rate was 17.1. The most common cause of death
apart from air raid casualties was from circulatory diseases and next
to it malignant growths indicative of the general elderly age groups
of the population.
The year was singularly free from outbreaks of infectious
disease. There was one death from Diphtheria, none from Scarlet
Fever or Whooping Cough, but seventeen from Pneumonia.
There were no deaths in women from childbirth and only
nine cases notified of Puerperal Fever and Puerperal Pyrexia.
Infantile mortality rate was 65.5 a considerable reduction on last
year. It was again heaviest among illegitimate children and among
the chief causes were congenital malformation and prematurity,
diarrhoea and enteritis.
Arrangements for Home Helps in maternity and child welfare
cases continued to work satisfactorily both during the period of the
mothers confinement at home and during the course of any associated
intercurrent illness of herself or the new born child. The City
Council pays the whole cost of the Home Help service less contributions
received from the mother.
The Domestic Help scheme was formulated by the Ministry of
Health in November 1944. Its purpose is to provide assistance in the
home in cases of acute or chronic illness and disablement including