View report page

To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
London Borough of Merton.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to present the Annual Report on the Health
of the London Borough of Merton for the year 1971, incorporating
the Annual Report on the School Health Service. Dr. P. J. Doody
was Medical Officer of Health during the year, but it was not found
possible to prepare this report for publication before his retirement
at the end of June, 1972.
The steady decline in population of this area since 1955
continued. The Registrar General's estimate of population fell from
181,460 in 1970 to 177,150 in 1971. The Census population figure
for 1971 was 176,524; the somewhat higher estimated figure of
177,150 would appear to reflect some degree of unavoidable underenumeration
in the Census.
Live births totalled 2,467—79 more than in 1970 and this
increase, coupled with the fall in population resulted in the live birth
rate rising from 13.20 per thousand population in 1970 to 13.90 in
1971. This is the first year since 1965 that there has not been a fall in
the live birth rate.
There was a reduction of domiciliary births from 169 in 1970
to 135 in 1971, but the number of planned early discharges from
hospital within 48 hours of confinement increased from 474 to 487
and, in addition, domiciliary midwives delivered 44 patients in
hospital.
There were 34 deaths of infants under one year of age (six less
than in 1970) and the infant mortality rate fell from 16.77 in 1970 to
13.78 in 1971. This welcome fall in the number of infant deaths was
reflected in the neo-natal, early neo-natal and perinatal mortality rates,
all of which showed a fall on 1970. These infant mortality figures are
extremely satisfying because the infant mortality rate is used as an
index of the improvement in social and material conditions which have
occurred in line with improved obstetrics and paediatrics over the
years.