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The Registrar General and my own Department are agreed on the
figure of 43. Of these forty-three deaths, there were ten which in ny
opinion do not come within any known medicine and, therefore, at this
stage of knowledge are inevitable. Of these ten, nine died within the
first month, so that of the thirty that died within the first month
there are still twenty-one which may be looked upon as preventable, which
shows that although our figures are very good indeed there is still room
for improvement. Of the wellnigh 1,200 children that were alive at the
end of one month, thirteen only died. One of these, as I have said above,
was inevitable; of the remaining twelve cases, seven were due to infection
of the lungs and one, although not being an infeotion of the lungs, was
an infection of a similar nature.
Infant Mortality for the past five years has been less than
forty per thousand.
(c) Maternal Mortality. The number of Barking women who died
owing to, or in consequence of pregnancy or childbirth was two, and we
had the same number of deaths on this account during the previous year.
The Registrar General gives this number and it agrees with the figure
prepared locally. In these two cases one died owing to, or in
consequence of pregnancy so that of your 1,200 births one only mother
died in consequence of childbirth.
SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
(a) General.
The considerable improvement in the interest shown by the
public in the years 1940 and 1941, in obtaining advice and treatment
under your public health and medical services, has been maintained, and
an even greater interest than pre-war is now being taken in the various
schemes you have established to provide for the health and well-being of
the population.
I have previously pointed out that the infant mortality rate
of a town is one indication as to social conditions, and in this connection
it should be noted that the infant mortality rate is lower than for the
previous year.
(b) Scales of Assessment.
Although only minor changes have taken place during the year
1942, there is a considerable amount of work entailed in assessing
maternity charges for women who are confined outside the area of their
normal residence. There should be some simplification, if indeed the time
has not come for the abolition of these charges, particularly where they
cannot be collected at an economic figure.
(c) Unemployment.
The Ministry of Labour and National Service inform me that
during the year 1942 unemployment in this area has been the lowest on
record in both the Men and Women's Sections.
That there has been unemployment is largely due to the fact
that there must in every community, be some persons who because of physical
disability or other reasons, are not able to work at all, or only able to
work in specially selected appointments, and then perhaps only for short
periods at intervals.
The establishment of day nurseries in the area to look after
the children during the time the mothers are at work has been very
helpful.
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