View report page

Mr,Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report for the year 1955.
The population, estimated by the Registrar General at 167,900 showed a small decrease,
continuing the slow trend which has become apparent during the past few years.
The birth rate was a little lower and the death rate a little higher than in the
previous year, but in neither case was the variation big enough to be significant. The
all-important infant mortality remained very close to the low record reached in 1954.
Maternal mortality was also low, a single death being notified.
Experience with infectious disease was somewhat chequered. The one disturbing feature
was the recrudescence of diphtheria, which gave rise to more cases than in the whole of the
previous five years. The circumstances appeared to show that an unusually virulent infection
had broken through the partial protection of an incompletely immunised community. An intensive
immunisation campaign was, therefore, launched towards the end of the year and subsequently,
up to the time of writing, the Borough has remained free of this disease. The inference to
be drawn, I think, is that the more severe types of diphtheria infection can only be kept at
bay by universal immunisation of young children, reinforced by booster doses at intervals
during school life. Changes of organisation to facilitate this objective have already
received consideration. Fuller details of the episode will be found on page 8.
In relation to the other Infectious diseases, 1955 was an epidemic year for measles
and at the same time whooping cough was also more prevalent, which is a frequently observed
association. Poliomyelitis also increased from 8 cases in 1954 to 22 this year, but there
were no deaths. Dysentery, though lower than in 1954, remained higher than in the immediately
preceding years, in conformity with the national experience. The reduction in scarlet fever
was within the normal range of fluctuation, but tuberculosis showed a decline which may prove
to be of more significance. No clear-cut trends in incidence, however, have become apparent.
Those sections of the report dealing with the personal health services have a number of
developments to record. The domiciliary midwifery service was transferred from Plaistow
Maternity Hospital to the direct control of the local health authority, and the services
provided by the Silvertown and North Woolwich District Nursing Association were also taken
over: the accounts of these changes are given on page 58.
The maternity and child welfare service began to offer simple tuberculin jelly tests to
young children at their toddler examinations in order to detect early tuberculous infection
and then trace its source (page 4-6). An audiology unit, for testing the hearing of very
young children, was also established under the same auspices with the co-operation of the
Education Department and the Hospital Services, I would like to express our great appreciation
to the Chief Education Officer and those members of his staff - particularly the Head
Teacher of the West Ham School for the Deaf - who have given the Unit so much help and
support; and also to Mr.C.J.Scott, the consultant otologist who has taken a close personal
interest as its medical director, and the hospital Board and Committees who so generously
made his services available. We are hoping much for the success of this pioneer venture,
of which more Information is given on page 4-8.
1