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A practice has grown up recently since the passing of the Health
Service Act whereby cases are admitted to hospital direct without
notification to the Medical Officer of Health, thereby delaying any
preventive action that may be necessary in the control of contacts.
It is difficult to counteract this tendency.
The continued absence of diphtheria in epidemic form is again
noteworthy and is not entirely due to the Diphtheria Immunisation
campaign. Records show that at least 36 per cent, of the children in
Chislehurst and Sidcup under 15 years are not immunised.
Scarlet Fever again continues high in incidence, 196 cases being
notified, being 2.6 per 1,000 population compared with 1.62 for the
whole country. It is, however, mild in character and free of complications.
No severe case was reported or seen. Whooping Cough and
Measles showed by far the highest incidence but, again, the infections
were mild, although there were two deaths from whooping cough.
What is applying to Chislehurst and Sidcup applies generally to the
rest of the country. The increase in Tuberculosis Notification is due
mainly to transfer of cases into new building estates and is a sign that
the T.B. case is, fortunately, being better housed. The 28 cases of
infantile paralysis are reported on more fully in the text that follows.