[Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Oldham County Borough.

  • Oldham (England). County Borough Council. nb2004302054.
Date:
1946
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1946] / Medical Officer of Health, Oldham County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/86 (page 2)
    Public Health Department, Town Hall, Oldham. To the Chairman and Members of the Health Committee, Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Morrell and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present my Annual Report on the Health of Oldham and the work of the Public Health Department for the year 1946. The vital statistics can again be regarded as satisfactory. Measies was prevalent during the last months of the year and assumed epidemic proportions. Two deaths occurred and it is to be regretted that no simple permanent protection can be afforded to young infants against this debilitating and dangerous disease. Three deaths occurred fiom Diph¬ theria and again one has to record that these children had not been immunised. No cases of Smallpox occurred in Oldham or the adjacent districts. As predicted in the report for the previous yeai, troops leturning from the Far East were a potential source of danger and were, in fact, responsible for a number of Small-pox cases which occurred m other parts of the country. The birth rate of 18.34 pei 1,000 of the population compares with 17.05 for the previous year and should continue to lise. The death rate of 14.56 compares with 15.54 for the previous year. The maternal mortality rate of. 2.29 compares with 1.43 foi England and Wales and 3.07 for the previous year. The infant mortality rate fell to 43 per 1,000 live births and equals that for England and Wales. It is the lowest rate yet to be recorded and compares with a rate of 50 for the previous year. There were 58 deaths due to tuberculosis (all forms) and the death rate of .50 per 1,000 of the population is the lowest yet re¬ corded, the previous lowest rate being 1942 when 61 deaths were registered with a death rate of .53 Early in the year, in conjunction with the Lancashire County Council the mass miniature radiography unit which was operated by the staff of the County Tuberculosis Service, was installed in Westlands. The survey which followed is fully described in the report and I am indebted to Dr. H. S. Ragshaw for the review and conclusions which follow. I wish to record my appreciation of the co-operation that was afforded by the staff of the unit and the employers and employees. In April the Hospital Survey Report of the North Western Areas was published. In this report a Hospital District comprising Oldham, Crompton, Roy ton, Chadderton, Lees and Limehurst is recommended. It is also recommended that the Saddleworth Urban District could be most conveniently served by the Oldham hospitals. This report which is a most extensive and detailed document will undoubtedly receive the most careful consideration of those who will be responsible for the new hospital service.