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Municipal Health Offices,
Romford Road,
West Ham, E.15.
Do the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
County Borough of West Ham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
1 regret the unavoidable delay in the publishing of this
report.
The year 1934 was one of exceptional activity in certain
phases of Public Health. Much work was accomplished in connection
with Slum Clearance and re-housing schemes, and though
a very great deal still remains to be done, at the present rate of
progress the five year scheme adopted by the Council in 1933
will have been completely carried out, with very considerable
additions, by the end of the time limit. In any schemes for rehousing
it is essential that due regard should be given to retaining
sufficient open spaces for recreation and other purposes.
Since my last report the consent of the Ministry of Health
has been obtained to the erection in the grounds of Whipps Cross
Hospital of additional hospital accommodation for 500 patients.
The consent of the Ministry and of the Board of Control has also
been obtained for your South Ockendon Colony to be sufficiently
extended to provide accommodation for 500 mentally defective
persons. When these two buildings are completed, over ,1,300
additional beds will have been added to the accommodation for
sick people administered by this Council, making them responsible
for over 5,400 beds, and if the beds in the Mental Hospital are
included, the total number reaches 6,500.
The Vital Statistics of the Borough for 1934 are again satisfactory
(see page 19).
The Maternal Mortality rate is very slightly higher than in
1933, being 2.01 as against 1.8 in 1933, but is still far below
that of the country as a whole and, indeed, below that of any
country in the world.
Considerable diversity of opinion exists as to the cause of the
continued high maternal death-rate which pertains in this country.
Much has been done and still more remains to be done to further
the knowledge of midwives and doctors in this respect and to
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