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Unfortunately, Ilford is deficient in hospital accommodation
of all kinds, both general hospital, isolation hospital, maternity
hospital and for the special treatment which school children require.
It is again unsatisfactory for me to have to point out that
the deaths of school children in Ilfordl form a higher percentage
of the total deaths registered than do the deaths of children of
school age in England and Wales generally. There is no outpatient
department in Ilford at which school children can attend
for treatment. The consequence is, as I have pointed out for
several years, that the children have to travel to hospitals in
London to receive the expert attention which they require.
Although the school population in Ilford has increased from
10,781 in 1919 to 17,576 at the present time there is still only
one school clinic to serve the whole of this large area. It is therefore
very regrettable that the Council has found it necessary to
postpone the erection of the clinic at Goodmayes, which would
have served the large child population in Becontree and would also
have provided ante-natal facilities for the women in that area and
adequate infant welfare centre accommodation.
The high death-rate of children from rheumatic fever
(probably associated with the recent high incidence of scarlet fever)
points to the need of the establishment in Ilford of a rheumatic
clinic with hospital beds for treatment such as has been done in
other districts.
It will again be observed that mothers confined and children
born in the Ilford Maternity Home have a considerable advantage
as regards prospect of life over those in the district generally. It is
unfortunate that the ward for difficult cases at the Maternity Home,
the extension of the Maternity Home generally, and the provision
of adequate ante-natal premises, have also been deferred. When
th.ese are erected I am convinced that a great boon will be conferred
on the mothers of Ilford.
The deficiency in the Isolation Hospital accommodation is still
under the consideration of the Council, and I hope that this work
will be proceeded with in the near future before the district is
faced with another outbreak of infectious disease.
I wish again to thank the members of the Council for their
support, and I have the honour to be
Your obedient servant,
A. H. G. BURTON,
Medical Officer of Health.