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Accidents in the Home
Many more deaths throughout the country occur now from accidents
in the home than from road accidents, or from lung tuberculosis, and the
public cannot be urged too strongly to see that all possible precautions
are taken in the home to minimise them. The powers and duties of the
Council under the Home Safety Act, 1961, relating to the dissemination
of information and advice for promoting safety in the home and encouraging
proper precautions against accidents are exercisable by the Public
Health Committee. The means taken to educate the public in this
respect are referred to elsewhere in this Report.
The County Medical Officer of Health supplies information, which
he obtains from the London Ambulance Service, relating to the removal
to hospital of home accident cases occurring in London and in the
London County Council Health Division 5, of which Stepney forms a part.
A table summarising these figures over the past four years is given on
page 6l. While the figures may not be fully comprehensive they give a
reasonably accurate picture.
During the year the London Ambulance Service removed to hospital
155 Stepney home accident cases, as compared with 218 last year.
Old people are prone to home accidents and the department's women
Hygiene Officers pay great attention to this risk during their visits.
For example, where accidents from gas appliances have occurred, or are
likely to occur, they have been instrumental in obtaining for the old
persons concerned a special safety-type gas cooker. Attention is also
given in the homes of old people to oil-heaters, particularly those of
the drip-feed type; advice and assistance is given to enable the old
people to have these converted so as to conform with safety standards.
ferriages
The number of marriages in the Borough during the year was 764.,
being 23 less than last year. The marriage rate per 1,000 population
is 16.9 compared with 17.1 in 1961.
Deaths
The net number of deaths registered during the year was 1,133
compared with 1,208 last year. The death rate of 12.52 compares with
13.13 for 1961. The rate of 12.52 when adjusted by the comparability
factor is 12.64, as compared with 11.9 for England and Wales. The
principal causes of death were heart disease which accounted for 29 per
cent of the total deaths, cancer 19 per cent and diseases of the respiratory
system 24 per cent (the highest ever). Deaths of persons over
the age of 65 years amounted to 66 per cent of the total deaths.
Details of deaths by cause and age are given in Table I of the
Appendix, on pages 58 and 59.
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