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METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF STOKE NEWINGTON.
ANNUAL (ABRIDGED) REPORT,
of the
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH.
for the Year 1945.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, N.16.
27th September, 1946.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Metropolitan Borough of Stoke Newington.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
An abridged report concerning the health of the Borough during the
year 1945 is herewith submitted.
This year covers the period during whioh the wars in Europe and
against Japan came to their end.
During the first few months of the year, V weapons wore still being
used and evacuation frcm London persisted. With the enemy losing bases across
the Channel, this danger receded and there was a rapid return flow to London
accentuating all the housing difficulties which existed in the Borough.
On examining the vital statistics one observes that the birth rate,
although high compared with that of recent years, had dropped frcm 21.9 in
1944 to 19.01 in 1945. The number of illegitimate births had increased from
44 to 62.
The infantile death rate rose frcm 32.4 to 38.3. This rate, although
higher than in the previous year compares very favourably with the rate of
53 for London as a whole. Premature births and congenital malformation
account for 15 of the 27 deaths of infants under one year of age, on which
this rate is oaloulated.
Three cases of diphtheria were notified during the year, two of the
cases had not been immunised, the third had received a course of injections
in another area two years previously. None of the cases was fatal. It will
be noticed that the total number of children immunised in the Borough
practically equalled the number of births. If this can be continued in
suooessive years, and I have no doubt that it can be, the time will come when
practically all children in the Borough will have been immunised and even
three notified cases of diphtheria in a year would be regarded as a reflection
on the Public Health Services of the Borough.
A scheme for providing Domestic Help to persons suffering from illness
or infirmity, was introduced in March. The total oost is reimbursed by the
Ministry of Health and applicants are assessed on a fixed scale. This scheme
has worked well, in spite of the difficulty in getting satisfactory domestic
workers, and has been of great assistance to families unable to make private
arrangements for such assistance.
During the war years, cleansing for scabies and verminous conditions
was oarried out at Clissold Baths (in use as a First Aid Post), the original
oleansing station at Milton Grove having been adapted for A.R.P. purposes.
With the cessation of hostilities, opportunity was taken of refitting the
Cleansing Station at Milton Grove and resuming cleansing activities in this
building.
1945 was a difficult year in all aspects of housing. Numerous complaints
with regard to inadequacy of housing accommodation and the defective condition
of the exisiting accommodation were made to this department.
It was only possible to relieve the position by the rehousing of 72
families in prefabricated houses and 5 families in requisitioned property.