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To the Mayor .Aldermen and Councillors of the London Borough of Hounslow
I have the honour to present the first Annual Report
on the health of the people living in the London
Borough of Hounslow and on the health services
provided by the Borough for the year 1965.
Transfer of Health Services occasioned by the
Implementation of the Local Government Act 1963
Every effort was made to ensure the smooth transfer
of the personal health services from the health
department of Middlesex County Council to this
department with as little dislocation as possible. That
this was achieved, during this very trying period for
all concerned, was in no small measure due to the
foresight of the County Council, its chief medical
officer, Dr Guy Wigley and his staff in re-arranging
the health areas in Middlesex to coincide with the new
borough boundaries some six months before the new
boroughs became comprehensive local health
authorities on 1st April 1965.
That the seemingly never ending series of new,
complex and often perplexing problems, occasioned
by the transfer, were actually solved satisfactorily by
the loyal co-operation of colleagues in the health and
associated departments, was in considerable measure
due to the sustained encouragement, understanding
and support of all members of the Health Committee.
Day after day during this period, chairmen, members
and officers spent many intense hours over and above
the normal run of duty, often into the early hours,
working as a team to ensure that the health and other
essential services to the community were the best that
their resources could offer.
Statistical Data
The statistical data for the first quarter of the year,
for the same geographical area as the new borough,
have been included in the totals in order to provide a
complete review for the twelve month period.
Due to the changes occasioned by the implementation
of the London Government Act 1963 no strictly
comparable returns for previous years are available
so comparisons are made where possible with the
appropriate national averages.
The birth rate (corrected for the age and sex distribution
of the population) of 16.6 is below the national
figure of 18.1, and it is of interest to compare this
figure with the 1964 figures for each of the three
previous constituent authorities of Heston and
Isleworth 14.9, Brentford and Chiswick 16.9 and
Feltham 18.5.
Although there were 3,541 live and 51 still births, it
is gratifying to note that there were no maternal
deaths associated with pregnancy or childbirth. This
is a tribute to the skill of the doctors, midwives and
health visitors who practise in the hospitals and in the
homes of the people in the borough.
The percentage of illegitimate births per live births
of 8.7 is, however, higher than the national figure of
7.7. This percentage is consistently rising and the
great majority of illegitimate babies are born to
women who are under 20 years of age. It should now
be apparent that the only way to reverse this continuing
upward trend is by careful and comprehensive
education in all aspects of individual and group
human relations, and the cultivation of a more
mature and informed responsibility during the
formative years both at home and at school. Full
knowledge of the consequences to themselves and to
the innocent child may deter some, but more positive,
though still considered controversial, is the provision
of proper access to such sympathetic and kindly
advice as is already given at the Brook Advisory
Centres in London. It is suggested by those who run
these Centres that such advice enables young persons
to make their own decisions from a stable foundation
of knowledge of every aspect of their individual
problems and of every means of avoiding such very
preventable tragedies. The content of these remarks
will remain a matter for individual conscience, but
everything should be done to prevent the misery,
distress and damage still caused to the people concerned
by each illegitimate birth in our present society.
Infant mortality is 15.5 per 1,000 total live births
and is well below the national average figure of 19.0.
The adjusted death rate of 10.7 per 1,000 population
is below the national average of 11.5 and compares
favourably with the figures for 1964 for Heston and
Isleworth of 11.1, Brentford and Chiswick of 10.8 and
Feltham of 10.9.
There were 28 deaths from motor vehicle accidents,
and 20 from all other accidents. Suicide accounted for
25 deaths.
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