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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR 1949.
Public Health Department,
2, Shalston Villas,
Surbiton.
August, 1950.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Surbiton.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have pleasure in submitting my 28th Annual Report
embodying the Sanitary Inspector's Report and following the
instructions laid down in the Ministry of Health Circular 2/50.
As in previous Reports the health of the District remains
good and on studying the various statistics hereinafter this will be
borne out.
Vaccination against Smallpox is not now compulsory end
Acts of 1867 and 1907 dealing with it have been repealed by the
National Health Service Act of 1946 with the consequent result that
there are quite a number of infants not vaccinated which might in
the future have unpleasant results or give extra work to both the
general practitioners and to the staff of the Public Health
Department.
It will be noticed that the number of new houses erected
has almost fallen by half, although the number of units of
accommodation has materially increased, which is unfortunate and
might lead to further overcrowding.
I should like to bring to the notice of the Council the
desirability of. erecting small one or two roomed flats in blocks
for use of the aged persons who are not too-ill to be removed to
hospital, etc. These flats and persons could be looked after by a
nurse who would be given a flat in the block for carrying out any
attention or nursing to old people that might be expected to occur.
Considerable attention was paid to the requirements of the
Food and Drugs Act, 1938, as regards the inspection of premises where
food is prepared or sold and with the object of creating a high
standard of cleanliness to both the premises and utensils.
STATISTICS.
Area (in acres) 4,709
Population (June 1949) Registrar General's estimate 60,110
Resident population (Census 1931) 29,396
Estimated number of separate habitable dwellings
(houses and flats) in the Borough at the end of the year 17,118
Number of new houses erected during the year:-
(a) By local authority 118
(b) By other local authorities 49
(c) By private enterprise 29
(d) Rebuilt following destruction by enemy
action 12
(e) Number of self contained flats provided
by conversion (private enterprise) 6
(f) Number of units of accommodation provided
by adaptation (by local authority) 206
Rateable value at 1st April, 1949 £629,126
Sum represented by a penny rate £2,620
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