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The Department lost, by resignation on the 8th August, 1953, the services of
Miss J. M. Calder, Chief Nursing Officer. Miss Calder has had a distinguished nursing
career in Northumberland, Manchester and London. Her knowledge, energy and
enthusiasm were invaluable in developing the personal health services of the department
since 1948, when the National Health Service came into being, and she takes with her
to her married life in Australia the warm good wishes of every member of the department.
She was succeeded by Miss E. Robinson on the 14th September, 1953, who vacated
the post of Superintendent School Nurse/Health visitor for Lancashire for this purpose.
VITAL STATISTICS
Population
the total home population of the County in the middle of 1953, according to the
Registrar-General was 3,343,000, compared with 3,363,000 in mid 1952.
Corresponding estimates for metropolitan boroughs are shown in Table 2 on page
145 and the rates given in this annual report are calculated on these figures.
Table 1 (page 144) shows the age distribution of the population, as estimated by the
Registrar-General, at the middle of each year since 1936 and at the middle of the census
years 1921 and 1931 and the mid-census year 1926.
Total numbers have been falling slowly since 1947, except for 1952, which would
appear to indicate that the Council's policy of decentralisation has begun to take effect
but the gradual diminution in the out-county building programme and the increasing
reliance on new and expanded towns to cater for the planned overspill of population
make future numbers hard to predict. In any case the net yearly losses are insignificant
in relation to the volume of migration which occurs in London and other great conurbations.
It will be noted that the average age of the population has risen slightly
during the year mainly as a result of a lessening in the numbers and proportions of
persons under 5 and between 15 and 44 years of age which implies in turn that the net
emigration is of young families and the younger adults.
Population
aged 60 years
and over
The proportion of the population aged 60 years and over in the administrative
County of London in 1951 according to the Census was 16.07 per cent. of which
11.06 per cent. were aged 65 years and over. The proportion of the aged is gradually
increasing (see page 4, of the 1952 Annual Report) and reflects the general decline in the
birth rate and the greater expectation of longevity since the beginning of the present
century.

* Single, widowed or divorced.