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ANNUAL REPORT
of the
MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR THE YEAR 1947.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Acton, W.3.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Acton.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit the Annual Report of the health of the Borough
of Acton for the year 1947, together with the report of the School
Health Service.
This year marks an epoch in the Health Service of this country,
for, with the National Health Service Act becoming law on the
Appointed Day, July 5th, 1948, there will be a great transition of
services to another authority. The transferred services, having been
controlled by Acton, will now be controlled by the Middlesex County
Council. It is to early yet to describe the new method of administration,
but in due course the Middlesex County Council will formulate
its requirements. Briefly, the Ambulance Service, the Maternity
and Child Welfare Service, and Home and Domestic Help Service
will be administered by the Middlesex County Council.
It is, of course, of interest to know that since 1877, Acton has
had a series of Medical Officers of Health who have built up the
health services, and perusal of their Annual Reports is of great
interest and could well be a subject of a report in itself at a later
date. But let me draw your attention by comparing some statements
of the past.
The infant mortality rate in 1897 was 198.3 per 1,000; in 1946
it was 27.9. This low rate for 1946 is something of which to be
proud, but in 1947 infant mortality rate rose to 33,8.