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speaks well for the obstetrical services in the area and for
the standard of ante-natal care available for the expectant
mother.
The incidence of infectious disease was again low.
Once again no case of diphtheria occurred but it is still very
necessary that mothers should not fail to have their children
immunised as only thus can a continued freedom from this
disease be ensured. Only two paralytic cases of poliomyelitis
occured in the Borough compared with eight in the
previous year. The number of cases of tuberculosis during
1954 was 89 compared with 91 during 1953. The number
of deaths, however, was only 5 as against 9 in 1953. A comparison
of notifications and deaths over the past 10 years
is in keeping with the national tendency for deaths from
this disease to decrease at a greater rate than notifications.
In other words, the curative services are tending to outstrip
the preventive services and very much more needs to be
done to track down the infectious cases within the community
and to lessen the chances of infection of susceptible
persons.
During the year a survey was commenced in accordance
with Section 1 of the Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954,
to ascertain how many houses would require to be demolished
within the next five years, and it was found that the
number of obviously unfit houses was relatively small as
was to be expected in an area in which so much housing
development took place between the two wars. The demolition
of these houses will not, necessarily, be followed
by 100% replacement on the site as some of these may be
considered unsuitable for new development. The rehousing
of these tenants may, therefore, be a matter of some difficulty
but it is hoped that the rate of demolition will be such as to
allow for the assimilation of such families into the Council's
rehousing programme in general.
The Clean Food Campaign continued to make real, if
not spectacular progress, and at the time of writing 156
plaques have been awarded by the Bexley, Erith and Crayford
Clean Food Traders' Guild. Far more could, no doubt,
be achieved if the necessary staff were available, and indeed
this applies to Health Education in general. A good case
could be made for the appointment of a Health Education
Officer to serve the Borough or such wider area as appeared
to be indicated.
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