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TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF
THE HEALTH COMMITTEE
My Lady, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The following pages contain a report of the work of the Health
Services in the Borough during 1954 and include, by courtesy of
the County Medical Officer, an account of the personal Health
Services administered by the Walthamstow Health Area Sub
Committee of the County Council.
Vital Statistics are again good and although the birth rate
remains steady, the death rate fell as did infant mortality, still birth
and the neo natal death rates.
Although the death rate fell, the table which gives the causes
of death reveals that cancer deaths increased by 45 to 252 in 1954,
deaths from heart and circulatory diseases remain steady, but deaths
from influenza, pneumonia, bronchitis fell from 235 in 1953 to 132
in 1954. Deaths from peptic ulcer increased from 14 in 1953 to
25 in 1954, and there were 28 deaths in all due to accidents including
7 in the home.
The care of the aged and chronic sick required an increasing
amount of time and the additional facilities still needed are
enumerated. One of the new facilities provided was the laundry
service for the incontinent.
In regard to housing, further representations were made in
regard to 151 dwellings. The Council acquired many dwellings
from private ownership and carried out substantial improvements
to bring these dwellings up to modern standards.
As in previous years the Sanitary Inspectorate worked
efficiently and well under the Chief Sanitary Inspector. A great
deal of detailed work was necessary in regard to the clearance areas
which were represented, and additional work ensued from the
Housing Repairs and Rents Act, 1954. An innovation was the
sampling of cooked meats.
In the field of infectious diseases, there was again no diphtheria,
and fortunately, but surprisingly, no poliomyelitis. Notifications of
pulmonary tuberculosis showed a dramatic fall, which is clearly
shown in the text of the report.
The personal Health Services are now the responsibility of the
County Council and are administered locally by the Walthamstow
Health Area Sub-Committee. The following refer to certain aspects
of these services:—