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MEDICAL OFFICERS ANNUAL REPORT
Public Health Department,
Tel: HAYes 1901. Springfield Bouse,
Kayes End Road,
Kayes, Middlesex.
May, 1961.
To the Chairman and Members of the Council.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Contrary to my usual practice, I wish to start my report
this year with an acknowledgment to the staff of the Public
Health Department. Following on the removal to new premises in
December, 1959, structural alterations on the building were
started in Autumn 1960 and for about six months the indoor staff
have had to work under very trying physical circumstances. In
addition, owing to illness, holidays and resignations the shortage
of technical staff became really acute for a few months, and
I would like to express my appreciation of the way members of
the department carried on cheerfully, willingly, and without
complaint.
I turn now to more general matters. As in 1959 more detailed
information about infant deaths is given in this report,
and it shows an increase in the neo-natal and perinatal mortality
rates. It is interesting to note that the infant mortality
rate for legitimate infants has risen while that for illegitimate
infants has fallen. It looks as though women are not taking
advantage of all the ante-natal care which is available to them.
In the case of adults coronary disease continues to take
the greatest toll of deaths, particularly of men, while the
incidence of suicide (another stress disease) is rising. Cancer
of the lung still ranks high among the causes of death and in
1960, 27 men died of this disease compared with a total of 38
who died from all other forms of cancer.
I have been concerned for some time about housing in the
district and the cramped conditions in which some families live,
conditions which inevitably lead to friction and to mental health
problems. During the year the Council's housing points scheme
was reviewed carefully by a special committee. The committee
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