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There was a decrease in the number of cases of
Respiratory Tuberculosis notified, as also in the number
of deaths from the sane cause, namely 40 notifications and
10 deaths in 1949, compared with 55 and 22, respectively, in
1948.
Vaccination against Smallpox- is now on a voluntary
basis and a calculation relating the number of children under
12-months vaccinated during 1949 to the number of children
born between 1st July, 1948 and 30th June, 1949, inclusive,
gives a figure of 51% vaccinated. Approximately two-thirds
of these were vaccinated at the Health Centre, Grange Road,
and the remaining one-third by general practitioners.
HOUSING.
During the year, notwithstanding the new housing
accommodation already completed and contemplated, the provision
of an adequate standard of housing accommodation for
those in need of it continued to be an urgent problem.
The completely built-up nature of the Borough, its
situation on the outer fringe of London, and the existence of
certain areas of older unsatisfactory accommodations, together
with the constant pressing demand for more living accommodation,
tends to perpetuate the crowding of families in
existing accommodation with consequent impairment of health
for a portion of the population.
We are constantly reminded of this by the number of
complaints received throughout the year and the number of
appeals for rehousing.
Many people are living in what is, from the health point
of view, an overcrowded state, and others, though not badly
overcrowded, are forced to reside in shared accommodation
and uncongenial surroundings, which, especially in the cases
of young children and elderly people, are not conducive to
health.
During the year, the visits of some seventy persons, who
called to seek intervention in their housing problems were
recorded. A further two hundred people have tendered medical
certificates issued by their private doctors supporting their
claim for rehousing. These persons represent only the most
acute cases and, for each one known to us, there are several
who have not come directly to our notice.
Communications have also been received by me from the
Care Almoner of the Kingston and District Tuberculosis Care
Committee in respect of badly housed tuberculosis sufferers.
Some of these patients have been in urgent need of separate
bedrooms, in order to assist their own recovery, and to help
prevent the spread of infection. I record my appreciation,
both as Medical Officer of Health and Chairman of the Tuberculosis
Care Committee, for the co-operation and help the Housing
Committee and the Rehousing Officer have been able to give to
such cases.
In addition to these particular aspects of the problem,
I acknowledge the continuous activity of the Chief Sanitary
Inspector in connection with maintaining a satisfactory
standard of structural repair in all dwellings, the details of
which are set out in Section D of this report.
It is a matter for some satisfaction that the vital
statistics are still improving, notwithstanding the housing
conditions afore-mentioned, which speaks well for the social
welfare activities and the general sanitary efforts carried