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BEX9
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G. F. B R A M LEY. m.d.;d.p.h.
Your Ref..
Medical officer of health.
TELEPHON E, BEXLEYHEATH 224-4-/5.
22nd June 1944
ANNUAL REPORT 0? THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR 1943
The report is again restricted in accordance with the Ministry
of Health Circular 10/44 of the 15th February 1944.
A Summary of vital statistics is appended. Compared with the
rest of the country, and with previous reports, the health of the
inhabitants of the Borough has been maintained at a high standard.
The low infantile mortality rate (26.01) is an outstanding
fact and most gratifying. It is 6.59 below that of last year which
was up to then the lowest ever recorded in this Borough. It has
been stated recently that a goal of 25 for the infantile mortality
rate of greater London might well be aimed at in the next ten years,
so that to stabilise or reduce the 1943 record in 3exley there can
be no relaxation and indeed only intensification of the activities
of maternity and Child Welfare. The low infantile mortality rate
is accompanied by a low stillbirth rate.
An equally outstanding and gratifying fact is that there was no
death from diphtheria in 1943, when by December 31st, 70% of
children under the age of 15 were immunised and to this must be
given the credit. With varying phases of human resistance and
bacterial infectivity there may be a change in this relationship,
but so far as present evidence goes a high immunisation rate will
mean a low diphtheria rate. Immunisation is a continuous process
and the parents of children approaching one year old should take
advantage of the facilities offered, as although diphtheria is now
becoming an uncommon disease relaxation of the immunisation campaign
would only lead to the old conditions with the disease taking a big
toll of child life as the diphtheria germ is still with us.
Scarlet fever was common during the year, but did not reach the
levels of the previous epidemic cycles in 1920-22, 1926 and 1933.
The disease was, however, very mild with no deaths. From home
isolated cases there were less than 2% of return cases, as against
over 5% from Hospital isolated cases.
Inoculation against Whooping Cough was continued and appears
to be justifying the campaign as only 9 children of the 2891
inoculated since the scheme began in July 1942 have contracted the
disease.
The influenza epidemic at the end of the year was mild and
Bexley appeared to come off very lightly so far as deaths were
concerned. The assistance of Voluntary Organisations was freely
given in a scheme organised to give domestic and nursing assistance
and to assist with shopping where the adults of a household were
incapacitated.
The Ministry of Health gave stimulus to the Home Help Scheme
during the year and the scheme suggested was substantially the same
as had been in operation in the Borough since 1936, but with a 50%
increase in applications and the inability of the Ministry of Labour
to find suitable persons to act as Home Helps, the local service has
not been easy to maintain. The scheme is restricted by legislation
to homes in which there is a nursing or expectant mother or child
under the age of five, but there are many homes where domestic
assistance is urgently required outside the restriction, but we are
unable to help.
With the increase in illegitimate births the suggestions of
the Ministry of Health to make provision for the mother and her child