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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 1963, which includes the report of the
Chief Public Health Inspector.
VITAL STATISTICS.
Although the standardised birth rate at 13.7 per thousand of the
population is higher than last year, it is still considerably below the
average figure for England and Wales, which is provisionally given by the
Registrar General as 18.2. There have been more illegitimate births
(6.1% compared with 4.3% of total live births), but less stillbirths (10
compared with 17).
The infant mortality rate at 21 per thousand live births is the
same as the average rate for England and Wales; for the second year in
succession there have been no maternal deaths from childbirth or abortion.
The standardised death rate at 11.2 per thousand of the population
was a little less than the comparable figure for the whole of England and
Wales, which was 12.2. There were more deaths than usual from bronchitis
and pneumonia - attributable no doubt to the exceptionally hard winter:
54 out of the total of 80 deaths from these causes were of persons aged
75 or over.
CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
This continues on the whole to be satisfactory, despite an
increase in the number of measles notifications, and of cases of dysentery.
All cases were mild, only 4 measles and 2 dysentery requiring admission to
hospital.
The increase in notified tuberculosis was due to the visit of the
Mass Radiography Unit during the year, which brought to light 13 cases which
perhaps otherwise would not have been notified during the current period, if
at all. The Unit also revealed 24 other abnormalities, full details of
which, together with the attendances, are given elsewhere in this report.
SECTION 47, NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948, AND RATIONAL ASSISTANCE
(AMENDMENT) ACT. 1951.
9 persons in possible need of care and attention were investigated
during the year, 5 cases were subsequently removed to hospital, including
1 outstanding from last year; 1 was removed to an Old People's Hostel, and
the remainder were kept under observation at home by the appropriate
Department. The Meals-on-Wheels service assisted where necessary and
was much appreciated.
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/RE-HOUSING