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tainly no worse than in the previous two years, as the average
number of inhabitants per house has failen from 3.68 to 3.55,
as a result of new building.
The excess of female over male births noted last year
has again been repeated, so that of a total of 262 live births
in the last two years, only 105 were males and 157 were
females!
The death-rate, at 12.8 per thousand of the population,
is higher than last year, but slightly less than in 1947. The
main increases have been in deaths from diseases of the heart
and circulatory system, and birth injuries.
With regard to the review of the working arrangements
under Part III of the National Health Service Act, 1946, the
County Council have, so far as possible, adhered to their proposals
made as Local Health Authority and the work over the
past year has been conducted on these lines as set out under
the various sections of the Act, being expanded so far as this
has been possible.
No major difficulties seem to have arisen, and I think a
fair summary would be to say that the year's work has been
mainly a continuation of existing services. Details of these
services, and of treatment provided during the year, appear
in Section B of this report.
National Assistance Act, 1948. Several cases of old
and infirm persons alleged to be in need ot care and attention
were referred to me during the year, but in only one case did
I certify the need for removal under Section 47 of the Act.
In this case the Council subsequently abandoned their resolution
to- apply for a Removal Order, in view of improved
arrangements for domiciliary care made by the Old People's
Welfare Committee and the Home Helps Service of the
County Council.
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