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BOROUGH OF BRENTFORD AND CHISWICK
Public Health Department,
Town Hall, Chiswick, W. 4.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Brentford and Chiswick
Mr Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the 35th Annual Report on the health of the
people of Brentford and Chiswick.
In 1962 there was a rise in the birth rate combined with a slight fall in
the infant mortality rate, but the death rate rose again with sizeable increases
in the number of deaths from circulatory disease, and a rise in the deaths from
cancer including more deaths from cancer of the lung.
Infectious disease notifications were low, and those who did develop a
notifiable infection were mild cases with little serious illness and little
spread to contacts. Although there was an increase in notifications from tuber
culosis, nearly half of these were transfers from other districts and the number
of new local cases was lower than in the previous year - but on the other hand
there were five deaths from this disease compared with only one in each of the
two previous years.
In the Report it will be seen that much work was carried out on slum clearance,
the extension of smoke free areas., and hygiene of food preparation and
of food handlers.
A survey of the needs of elderly people receiving meals through the Meals
on Wheels Service revealed that, if a welfare officer or other visitor has time
to interview elderly persons living alone, a great deal of help can be provided
for them, they are often unaware of the services available and although with
the enlarging Meals Service the dangers of malnutrition of the elderly are
lessened, other matters likely to affect their health and safety, particularly
the slow onset of deafness or weaker vision, or the mental deterioration from
loneliness and lack of interests can be discovered and remedied
The study of the 1961 Census figures gave much food for thought as to the
precise amount of improvement in living conditions which had taken place in the
Borough over ten years, there was no doubt that a good amount of the lost time,
lost from 1936 when the first portents of the European War began to delay projects
of overcrowding relief and slum clearance until 1954 when the Housing
Repairs and Rents Act authorised local authorities to prepare to clear their
worst slums before I960,, had been regained But the evidence was clear, revealed
by what amounts to a rough survey of all houses in the year 1961, that
overcrowding remains and that much substandard housing exists.
Much work was done on the survey and other inspections in connection with
the scheme to render Brentford and Chiswick a smoke free borough.
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