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Scarlet fever-incidence average; mortality low - (there were 3
deaths from scarlet fever and streptococcal sore throat)
Diphtheria-incidence low; only 3 deaths registered
Typhoid fever-incidence slightly higher than average; only
3 deaths
Infantile diarrhoea-incidence below average; mortality much below average - 60 deaths.
Poliomyelitis-incidence moderate; mortality average for
recent years; 35 deaths.
Diphtheria is rapidly being overcome as a killer of children,
thanks to the immunisation campaign. Pre-war, there were
7,500 cases a year and 250 deaths. In 1950, there were only just
over 100 cases and three deaths. Over 60 per cent. of infants
under the age of 5 are immunised, and at school ages, the percentage
reaches 75. Further progress depends on the maintenance of this
level of immunisation.
The infantile diarrhoeal death rate is the lowest ever
recorded.
The first really serious epidemic of poliomyelitis in
London was in 1947. 1948 was a year of average incidence but in
1949, it flared up again with an incidence almost as great as in
1947, and a similar mortality - 7% of the cases. In 1950, incidence
was again high, 456 cases being notified. There wore 35 deaths7.7
per cent.
Tuberculosis-The annual notifications have fallen for
the first time (from 6,252 to 5,725) since the end of the last war
and there has been a further decline in the death rate. The provisional
death rate for 1950 is 0.39 per 1,000 - a new low recordcompared
with 0.52 in 1949. Nevertheless, the deaths in 1950,
numbered over 1,300. Tuberculosis remains the most serious chronic
infectious disease affecting the community.
Fatal road accidents caused 245 deaths (provisional
figure). This is a small' reduction on 1949, when there were257
deaths.
Cancer caused some 7,500 deaths. The provisional death
rate was 2.2 per 1,000 and when allowance is made for the new inclusion
of Hodgkin's disease and Leukemia in this group, this can be
compared with the same rate in 1949 (the exact comparison cannot
be made until precise figures of re-allocation of registrations by
residence (which at present have only been estimated) have been
furnished by the Registrar-General; a substantial number of patients
from outside London die within the County).
GENERAL STATISTICS.
Sessions of ante-natal, post-natal and Infant clinics788
a week. Attendances at ante-natal and post-natal clinics
average 4,200 a week and at infant clinics 18,645 a week.
Over 50 per cent. of expectant mothers attend the Council's
clinics and 83 per cent. of the children under 1 year of age attend.
Health Visitors paid about 884,000 home visits during the
year.
Under the Council's Domiciliary Midwifery Scheme 13,745
mothers were attended in their confinements.
During the year Home Helps attended 28,000 households.
About one-tenth were confinement cases, the rest illness.
Home Nurses provided by the Council through the agency of
the District Nursing Associations paid about 1,275,000 visits.
The Ambulance Service during the year surpassed all prevvious
records, the number of patients conveyed by directly provided
and agency services exceeding 630,000, involving a mileage of over
5,500,000. These figures include 84,000 emergency calls, as against
the previous year's figure of 76,000.
January, 1951.