View report page

6
Communicable diseases
No special comments are needed except about tuberculosis.
Here the marked increase in the number of notified cases, and
the unaltered death rate from this disease were disappointing.
The total number of deaths was however only 21, and nearly onethird
of those who died were over 75 years of age. The disappearance
in the near future of deaths from this cause among
those under 45, (of which there were 7 last year) is anticipated.
The Chest Physician explains how a special Mass X-ray
campaign in 1961, and changes in notifying primary infections,
previously disregarded, raised the number of notifications.
A question was put about immigrants in Croydon. A analysis
of cases during the first 9 months of the year showed that only
5% of tuberculous patients could be regarded as recent immigrants
to this country.
Personal Health Services
The rising number of attendances at Infant Welfare Centres
shows the value placed by mothers on this service. This is despite
the fact that in Croydon the only Welfare Foods distributed
are those issued by the Ministry of Pood. Furthermore the
majority of centres are held in rented halls offering few
amenities. Properly restricted to immunisation, education and
supervision, our infant welfare centres have shown that they do
not compete with the care given by family doctors, but are
entirely supportive and complementary to the general medical
services.
The domiciliary midwives had a busy year, and close coordination
with hospital maternity units ensured for every
mother definite arrangements for her confinement.
Health Visitors continued to develop new measures for the
early detection of abnormalities, end despite staffing shortages,
were adopting fresh techniques in health education. Health
visiting was introduced in the 19th century to combat the high
infant mortality rate; I doubt if those concerned ever thought
that an urban area such as Croydon would record a rate of 15.
The Ambulance service was hard pressed and during the winter
months routine calls could not always be met punctually. Steps
to solve this problem of peak loads are being taken.
Home Nurses and Home Helps continued to assume as their
major duty an increasing responsibility for the home care of the
aged.