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Cancer of the lung is largely a preventable disease,
having regard to its proven association with smoking. Smoking
has been called a social habit but I would regard it as antisocial
in view of the pollution of indoor atmosphere and its
contribution to chronic bronchitis etc.
Following the 1971 census, the Registrar General has
made an interesting alteration to his birth and death rate
comparability factors for 1972. These factors were previously:
births 1.01 and deaths 0.93, which meant that the borough was
considered to contain slightly fewer persons of child-bearing age
than the national average and a greater number of elderly persons.
The new factors are: births 0.96 and deaths 0.91 so the
Registrar General now considers that the population of the borough
contains more persons of child-bearing age than the average
nationally and also a much greater proportion of elderly.
Communicable Diseases
The numbers of infectious diseases were less than half of
those for the previous year, due mainly to a reduction in
notifications of measles.
There was a welcome decrease in both respiratory and nonrespiratory
tuberculosis, but the need for constant vigilance and
preventive measures remains as necessary as heretofore.
Health Centres and Clinics
The conversion of Gosbury Hill Clinic into a health centre
was completedin March and although there were some problems in the
early days, it is now running smoothly.
Building started on the Hawks Road Clinic early in 1972.
This will replace Grange Road Clinic, and is expected to open in
June 1973.
No progress was made in the replacement of South Place
Clinic. The result of the public enquiry was favourable, but the
need to await the result of this enquiry has further delayed this
project.
A site has not yet been found for a health centre to
replace Roselands Clinic in the difficult area of New Maiden.