[Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Huntingdonshire / County of Huntingdon County Council.

  • Huntingdonshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1948
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Huntingdonshire / County of Huntingdon County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/58 (page 5)
    is reversed and shows an increase of approximately 2,300 over the 1947 figure. This appears to indicate that the increase in the population is due largely to the influx of squatters to the various former Service hutted sites situated in the rural districts. The birth rate of 18.1, in common with the birth rate for England and Wales as a whole, shows a decrease on the correspond- ing rate for 1947. It is interesting to note that the county birth rate in 1947 was the highest on record for many years. From 1913 onwards, the 1947 birth rate has been surpassed only once when, in 1920, the birth rate was 23.9 and equalled once in 1921. The death rate of 10.5 for the year is the lowest recorded over the same period (1913 onwards). A new era commenced on the 5th July, the date on which the National Health Service Act became operative, when the County Council as Local Health Authority established the new health service schemes prepared by them under Part HI of the Act. The Schemes as approved by the Ministry of Health were given the necessary publicity by the County Council during the earlier months of the year. Some of the services to be provided, e.g. the Care of Mothers and Young Children, were largely an extension of former services, whereas others were entirely new undertakings. All the services provided under these schemes are reported upon, in greater or less detail, in the substance of the report, and no additional comments are therefore necessary. The anticipated increased demand for dental treatment by the priority classes (expectant and nursing mothers and children under five years) failed to materialise. Far from the expected increase a considerable decrease occurred. The response to the Domestic Help Scheme, despite the un- flagging energy and hard work on the part of the Organiser, was very disappointing. There is promise, however, that her efforts have not been in vain, and that the groundwork she put in has not been entirely wasted. By virtue of the Children Act, 1948, Child Life Protection duties under Section 206—220 of the Public Health Act, 1936, were referred to a newly constituted committee of the County Council. Under the new arrangements the Health Visitors who had previously undertaken this work were relieved of these duties.