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To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
London Borough of Merton.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present my Annual Report on the Health
of Merton for the year 1970.
The Registrar-General's estimate of population showed a fall
from 183,570 to 181,460, thus continuing the steady decline in
population which has taken place since 1955.
Live births totalled 2,358, being 49 less than in 1969, and the
live birth rate fell from 13.27 to 13.20. Of the 2,388 live births
93.3% were born in hospital. The falling number of domiciliary
births was, however, accompanied by a compensating increase in the
number of early discharges (within 48 hours after birth) from
maternity hospitals.
There were 40 deaths of infants under one year of age (22 of
these being in the first seven days of life) compared with 34 in 1969,
and although the infant mortality rate rose from 13.90 in 1969 to
16.77 this still compares favourably with the rate for England and
Wales of 18.00.
The number of stillbirths fell from 31 to 22 and the stillbirth
rate fell from 12.56 in 1969 to the low rate of 9.14 as compared with
a rate for England and Wales of 13.00.
The real effect of this marked reduction in the number of stillbirths
(9 less than in 1969) is shown in the perinatal mortality rate
per thousand live and stillbirths (a total of 44 stillbirths and deaths
in first seven days of life compared with 52 in 1969) which fell from
20.67 in 1969 to 18.00 and thus compares very favourably with the
rate for England and Wales of 23.00. The total loss of infant life
(stillbirths plus infant deaths) per thousand live and still births also
fell from 26.33 in 1969 to 25.75.
There was one maternal death during the year, the circumstances
of which are given on page 19.
Although there were 20 less deaths during the year (2,084 compared
with 2,104 in 1969) because of the fall in population the crude
death rate per thousand of the population rose slightly from 11.46 per
thousand population in 1969 to 11.50. This is still lower than the
rate for England and Wales of 11.70. 69.3% of the 2,084 deaths were
attributable to three principal causes—heart disease (33.5%), cancer
(23.8%) and cerebrovascular disease (12.0%).
In my Annual Report for 1969 I drew attention to the steady fall
in the population of the area since 1955 when the estimated population
was 195,970 and pointed out that there seemed to be no indication
that this tendency to a falling population would be halted. This has
proved to be the case. The population figure of 185,130 for 1965 has
fallen to 181,460 by 1970. The factors which have produced this are
(1) a live birth rate which has fallen consistendy since 1965, (2) a
death rate which, although it has fluctuated, is slowly rising, and (3)
migration out of the Borough.
6
As the following tables show, although
in each year since 1965 there has been a natural increase of live births
over deaths, the population is still falling, thus indicating that the
greatest single factor is that of migration from the Borough.