[Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Doncaster R.D.C.

  • Doncaster (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1964
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Doncaster R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/74 (page 2)
    To the Chairman and Members of the Doncaster Rural District Council. Nether Hall, Doncaster. June, 1965, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is with pleasure I again submit my Annual Report on the health and well being of the inhabitants of your district and the work carried out in the Health Department during the year 1964. As in previous years the report is in two parts, the environmental services which are the responsibility of this Council and, as a matter of interest, the personal health service which is carried out in your district. This latter service is the responsibility of the County Council but is under my supervision as Divisional Medical Officer. Vital statistics by themselves can be very dry reading and may convey very little to the reader. When, however, these statistics are compared with previous years, with other rural and urban districts in the West Riding, and with the statistics of England and Wales as a whole, they show in great measure the health and well being of the inhabitants. The Vital Statistics for the ybar 1964 show 1) The population continues to increase at a remarkable rate. This year the increase is from 70, 100 to 73,760. Few areas can show such an increase and the demand on the Education Committee for school places will continue to require serious consideration. 2) The number of births increased from 1597 to 1725 giving an uncorrected Birth Rate of 23,4 compared with the Birth Rate for England and Wales of 18.4. The adjusted Birth Rate of 20.6 is well above the average for the rest of the country. A table in the report shows the number of births in each parish. 3) Deaths in child birth or from pregnancy or abortion are very rare. When such a death occurs a detailed investigation is made and a report submitted from all sources. Unfortunately one such death occurred in the district during the year, 4) The number of children dying before reaching the age of 1 year was increased from 33 to 35 but because of the increased birth rate the Infantile Mortality Rate was 20. 3 compared with 20. 0 for England and Wales. Past records show that this rate of 20, 3 is the lowest ever recorded in the district, just as the 20. 7 of last year was the lowest up to that date. 5) There was a slight reduction in the number of deaths, 593 compared with 6 1 0 in 1963. Cancer deaths showed a slight reduction from ] ]6 to 99 but cancer of the lung caused 20 deaths compared with 18 in 1963. Heart and circulatory diseases continued to be the main causes of death. A2