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7
for that area. It can be seen, then, that to-day's division of the county
might be the basis of the creation of a smaller number of enlarged county
districts. If this is so, then it must be regretted that the considerations
which determined the division of the county were not those more closely
related to the operation of the various health services.
Although to-day's difficulties lower the standard of the local maternity
and child welfare services, the Council can still be proud of the service
it has provided. The standard has not been maintained without difficulty.
Though buildings do not make a service, yet the necessity for
having to continue to use premises not designed for the purpose in which to
hold infant welfare centres and ante-natal clinics has added to the
labours of the health visitors. Every effort has been made to provide
clinic facilities within reasonable reach of all the residents of the district.
The Council was able to put up a very strong case of providing its own
maternity home. Their repeated efforts in the early days of the Council
met with no more success than their recent application. The use of the
Honeypot Lane Isolation Hospital as a residential nursery and as a
home for mothers should ensure the building being put to best use, even
though it now looks as though the Council, having provided and converted
the building, is not to be responsible in any way for its future administration.
The midwifery service, again at times maintained under great
difficulty, has been most efficient and the letters of appreciation so often
received must be a source of gratification to the staff. The County
Council will be acquiring a staff of midwives, every one of whom is qualified
to use the gas and air apparatus.
As far as vital statistics are indicative of the efficiency of the services,
they are satisfactory. The infant mortality rate of 24.0 is well below the
national rate of 41.0. The maternal mortality rate at 1.0 is lower than
that of the county as a whole, while the stillbirth rate at 0.42 per 1,000
population compares favourably with the national rate of 0.50. Full
use has been made of the services. 1,166 confinements were attended
by the Council's midwives last year. 63,000 visits were made by children
to the infant welfare centres, while 3,135 mothers, or 80 per cent. of those
confined made use of the Council's ante-natal services.
The other vital statistics, too, were satisfactory. The death rate was
only 8.5, and the district was only lightly attacked by most of the
infections, though having its share of the nation-wide outbreak of
poliomyelitis ; and having an outbreak of typhoid fever in a children's
home.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient servant,
CARYL THOMAS,
Medical Officer of Health.
Cottesmore,
August 30th, 1948.