View report page

1
To The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea.
Mr, Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual report on the
health and sanitary conditions of the Borough during 1948.
In accordance with instructions received from the Ministry of
Health, the report has again been prepared in an abridged form.
The population of the Borough was estimated by the
Registrar-General to be 50,890, as compared with 51,000 in 1947.
The birth rate was 17.4 (19.0. in 1947), whilst the
death rate was 11.7 (12.0 in 1947). The infant mortality
rate was 40 per 1,000 live births (44 in 1947).
The health of the population was satisfactory.
There was an increase in the total incidence of
notifiable infectious disease, the number of notifications
received being 894, as compared with 776 in 1947. This is
explained by the large number of cases of Whooping Cough
notified to the Department.
Maternity and Child Welfare, Diphtheria Immunisation,
and, in part, the administration of the Tuberculosis Service,
became the responsibility of the London County Council on 5th
July, 1948. Details of the work carried out prior to that
date will be found in my report.
Close attention was devoted to the supervision of
food supplies.
I have again to express my appreciation of the work
of the staff of the Public Health Department. Information
as to officers employed is also set out in my report.
In conclusion, I should like to thank members of the
Council for the support and sympathetic consideration always
extended to me, and for their keen attention to the problems
which it has been my duty to place before them.
I am,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
W.H.L. McCARTHY, M.D.,D.P.H.,
Medical Officer of Health.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Chelsea, S.W.3.
July, 1949.