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3
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR 1956
Town Hall,
Anerley Road, S.E.20.
27th May, 1957.
To the Chairman and Members of the Urban District Council of Penge.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present my Annual Report for the year ended 31st December, 1956,
which has been compiled in accordance with Circulars 19/56 and 2/57, of the
Ministry of Health.
The Vital Statistics for the year once again show little change and compare
favourably with those of other parts of the country. The birth rate still remains
rather above the national average and, while the death rate shows a rise compared
with that of the previous year, it is still slightly below that for the whole country.
It is also notable that the proportion of deaths in people between 65 and 75 years
of age is very much lower and those over 75 years slightly less.
Once again there has been very little infectious disease in the district, the
majority of the cases notified being whooping cough, which was in the main a
mild type. Further posters were displayed advising on hygiene during the year
and again there has been no outbreak of Sonne dysentery. For the ninth successive
year no case of diphtheria has been notified, a proof of the success of
immunisation, the need for which, however, does not lessen. Under the auspices
of the Kent County Council a considerable number of children were immunised
with the new poliomyelitis vaccine during the year. No ill-effects were reported
as a result of it and one can only hope that as more vaccine becomes available
the number of children treated will increase and that this disease will become as
uncommon as diphtheria is today.
The voluntary bodies have again continued their excellent work on behalf of
the old people of the district whose conditions of life have been much improved
as a result of their efforts.
A few cases of food poisoning were all unconnected and it was not possible
to identify the cause in any case.
Further progress was made during the year with housing projects and during
the latter part of the year as a result of official representation by myself two areas
were declared clearance areas under the Housing Act, 1936.
The year brought a major change in the staff of the Public Health
Department when Mr. R. T. Pearce retired from the post of Chief Public Health
Inspector as a result of ill-health after many years' service with the Council. His
knowledge of his work and his willingness to help anyone will be much missed,
not only by his colleagues, but by the district as a whole. For myself, I shall
always be grateful for his help and friendship during the years we have worked
together. To his successor, Mr. E. G. Thomas, previously his deputy, I can only
say I am glad to have him as chief inspector. As a result of these changes the
department has been one inspector short and in consequence some of the work
has had to be left over until we have a full staff to cope with it. In a district such
as this, with a considerable proportion of the properties consisting of multi-storey
old Victorian houses let in flats, the amount of inspection required is more than
average and entails a lot of work for the inspector.