[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, East Riding of Yorkshire County Council.

  • East Riding of Yorkshire (England). County Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, East Riding of Yorkshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    To the Chairmein ami Me^mhcrs of the Cnitnty Cauncil. Sir John Dunnin^ton-Jefferson, My liorfls, Tjaclies and CxonileTnen. I haT(‘ the honour lr» proseni my Annual Fieport;^ on the General Heallli Serrice and the School Health Service of the County for the year 1951. « « Tlie yeaj- did not show any developments necessitatino- special comments, and the contents of these reports are there- fore mainly statistical in nature. JJiese statistics show an estimated increase of 830 in the total population, a furthe]- fall in the birth rate and a rise in the general death i-ate. 'I'he infantile inortalitv rate was slightlv hig-her than in 195(1, when it reached the lowest level ever to be recorded, but the rate for this year still compares favourabh’ with that for Engtand and Wales. There are many factors which have contributed to the steady fall in the infantile mortality rate, and one of these factors is the continuous work in health education and advice given bv health visitors and medical officers to mothers either in their own homes or when they attend the various infant welfare centres. There are now fifty-five such centres operating- in the County, which were attended by ovei- 5,000 children. The fall in the birth rate, combined with the still increasing- tendency for women to go into institutions foi- their confinements, has had the effect of reducing the amount of work of the domiciliary midwives, but this reduction has been more than offset by the increase in the demand for the services of domiciliary nurses. Much of the work of these nurses is concerned with aged, chronically ill patients being- nursed in their own homes. This work is heavy, often un- pleasant and fre([uently mentall.\ unrewarding, but never- theless of great im])ortance, and com])aratively few ])eo])le appreciate the value toi the community of the continuous and conscientious work put in by domi(‘iliary nurses in this sphere of their activities. The demands on the ambulance service have continued to increase, but the rate of this increase is less than in previous years, and it is hoped that the time lias now (-ome wlien further extenisions to this service will be unnecessary. In the field of infectious diseases there were again over ’J,500 cases oif measles notified, but relatively few cases of other notifiable infectious diseases. Gnly one case of diphtheria was notified. The virtual disappearance of this serious disease must be largely attributed toi iimnunisation and, to maintain the position that has been gained, constant efforts will need to be made to see that a high proportion of infants receive the protection given by immunisation, and that the protection thus given in the early years is maintained