View report page

11
The figure of 3.61 persons per house comes from the
housing survey of 1936 and is preferred to the 1931
Census figures taken before the amalgamation of 'Bromley
with Hayes and Meston.
The Registrar General's mid-year estimate for 1941
is 50,430 and full account of population movement is
taken in this estimation. This figure forms the basis
for calculation of all vital statistical rates, and it
follows that rates will be abnormal in comparison with
previous years. ' '
BIRTHS.
During the year 474 births have been notified to me
by doctors and midwives. Of this number 488 were live
births and 12 stillbirths. The Registrar General,
however, gives a total for the year of 691 births
comprising 671 live births and 2.0 stillbirths, which have
been adjusted by inward and outward transfers; according
to the normal residence of the parents. Many births of
Bromley children took place outside the area during the
year, owing to the dispersal of population. Although wo
continue to receive notifications of a good proportion of
the out-of-district births, the routine of notification
as between authorities throughout the country is not
entirely consistent. Early knowledge of incoming births
allows of early visitation by the health visitor. The
fortuitous discovery of births by health visitors in the
course of routine visitation some six months after birth
is not infrequently the occasion of comment by the. mother
who thinks. the local. health authorities are at fault.
The basic fault in the administration is perhaps to be
found in the present dual arrangement of notification and
registration of births at differing times controlled by
differing authorities, which is not conducive to smooth
co-ordination of information between authorities with
regard to the inward and outward transfer of birth's.
The following is a comparison with the rates for the
London area and the whole of the country
England & Wales.
14.2
London County.
8.9
Bromley.
13.3
DEATHS.
There were 763 deaths from all causes in 1941 (an
excess of 30 over the total for 1940) which produces an
abnormally high Death Rate for the area of 15.1 This
of course is due in part to the low figure of population
on which we must base our figures for the year.