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TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS OF THE BOROUGH OF LEYTON
Mr.Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit this my fourth Annual Report as required by the Ministry
of Health. As will be noted this includes a statistical section on the personal health
services (National Health Service Act, 1948 Part III) but does not include any report on
the School Health Services as this is now published as a separate document.
The Registrar General's estimate of the population in the Borough for 1958 is 98,760,
a decrease of 910 persons compared with the previous year. The National decrease of population
due to more deaths than births accounts for a loss of 86 of the population and it
is obvious that the bulk of the decrease is due to the young couples moving out of the
Borough to obtain housing in new towns. Thus every year the percentage of aged persons in
the Borough increases and so do the problems, dealt with more fully in the body of the
report, of the Care of the Aged and housing for this group of the community.
The death rate of 13.44, the highest since 1944. is much above the national provisional
rate of 11.7. However, with an ageing population such as appertains in the Borough the
death rate is bound to be above the national average.
The birth rate of 12,67 is much below the national provisional rate of 16.4 and it
would appear that the decline in the population will continue for some years to come, and
will probably eventually become fairly static at about 85,000.
The causes of death, follow the same pattern as in most post war years.
The incidence of infectious disease was very low. In fact the lowest ever recorded in
the Borough. Notifications totalled 897 of which measles accounted for 433, pneumonia
being the next highest (132) with scarlet fever (l06) and whooping cough (104). No notifications
of poliomyelitis or diphtheria were received. There were 38 isolated cases of
sonnei dysentery.
I draw attention to the short reports on the laundry for the incontinent, care of the
elderly and housing of the elderly. The problem of the aged lonely person will be with us
for all time and I refer in the report to the amount of time that has to be expended on
these cases.
In the section of the report dealing with sanitary circumstances of the area I would
draw attention to the stress that is placed on health education rather than punitive
action. The public must be educated to comply with statutory requirements, it is not
sufficient to issue orders and regulations that even the officials have difficulty in
understanding. The role of the Public Health Inspectors must be more and more educative.
The shop window of 280 High Road is a great asset to the Department and provided it is
used with imagination and intelligence can serve a useful educative purpose. There have
been many tributes to the dressing of these windows both from Members and the public. The
subjects have to be chosen with care and with regard to the seasons. The display is
contributed alternately by the Local Sanitary Authority and Local Health Authority Staff
and a friendly rivalry exists within the department in producing the displays.
During 1958 progress was made in respect of supplementing the provision of the Clean
Air Act, 1956. It is hoped that in the Report for 1959 I may be in a position to report
more fully on the action taken during the year.
Reference is also made to the commencement of the detailed survey of the second of the
Council's proposed slum clearance and redevelopment areas. This is a continuing process
which will engage the department for a number of years.
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