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To the Chairman and Members of the Chigwell
Urban District Council.
THE CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
I have pleasure in presenting the Annual Report of the Medical
Officer of Health for the year 1962, which includes the report of the
Chief Public Health Inspector.
During the year the Health Services in the District came
under review during consultations held in connection with the proposed
reorganisation of London Local Government. Evidence was submitted in
support of the Council's successful appeal for the District to be
excluded from the proposed Greater London Area.
VITAL STATISTICS.
There has been a slight fall in the birth rate which, at
10.9 per thousand of the population is nuch below the average for
England and Wales (18.0). The death rate (11.9 per thousand) is
roughly the same as the average for England and Wales (11.6) and the
causes of death remained virtually the same as in recent years.
Diseases of the heart and circulation (223) head the list, with
malignant diseases (117) as the second commonest group among a total
of 479 deaths in the District. There were six deaths from road
vehicle accidents and seven other accidental deaths which is a small
but welcome reduction from last year's figures (eight and ten
respectively). No mothers died from pregnancy, childbirth or abortion.
PREVENTION OF ILLNESS.
Immunisation. Programmes against smallpox, diphtheria,
poliomyelitis, tuberculosis and whooping cough were actively continued
and the low incidence of infectious diseases during the year has been
very gratifying. Owing to the importation of smallpox cases into the
country from Pakistan, demand for vaccination was greatly increased for
a time, and there were many enquiries about goods, contacts and travelling
restrictions. Several contacts kept under daily surveillance throughout
the incubation period remained well.
Diabetes Detection. It is estimated on the basis of research
work carried out in other communities that between three and four hundred
people in this District may be potential diabetics in need of medical
advice and treatment. Most of these are likely to be overweight
persons above 50 years of age, or relatives of known diabetics, or
persons with failing eyesight or women who have experienced many or
complicated pregnancies. These are the so-called "high risk" people
who under the present provisions of the National Health Service remain
-3- /unidentified