[Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, Minehead U.D.C.

  • Minehead (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, Minehead U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ^I^FtARY MINEHEAD URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL, •j' 'Os MEDICAL OFFIGBR OF .HBALTHtS INTERIM REPORT FOR 1945,LIS^.A S' In acoordance with the Instruotions contained In Ciroular 2067 all statistics are omitted from this report which deals shortly with matters of public health and the extraordinary conditions affecting such matters. The over population of the town has not greatly varied since 1942. All available accommodation in houses and such ■ hotels and boarding houses as have not been taken over by the military is saturated. There is a fluctuating population consisting mainly of military units virhich varies within small limits. This section is not within our jurisdiction. There has as yet been no marked return ,of the self-evacuated to their homes. There is some slight overcrowding, but this is not serious and in many cases quite temporary. There is a definite need for new houses for which there are many demands* The Council are at present negotiating for sites for the erection of 60 houses aied have a provisional scheme for their erection* The water supply is now entirely satisfactory and sufficient for all needs. The water is laid on to practically every house and cottage within the area. The sanitation of the town has been carried on satis¬ factorily and there has been no alteration in the existing sewerage scheme, ' - . The health of the community during 1943 has shovm a definite deterioration particularly amongst the advanced ages. In addition to restricted diet, the depressing atmosphere inseparable from a long War, the black-out with its inevitable interference with ventilation, there is another factor, I refer to the calling up of women from 45 to 50, Women of this age had been largely responsible for the cleanliness and the domestic work of the houses and cottage homes. This care has now devolved on the aged and infirm with the inevitable effect. The total deaths have shown an increase on the previous year, Epidemic diseases made their usual appearance, but the epidemics were not of great severity. Scarlet Fever, measles and whooping cough wore notified; measles being the most prolific. The cases of scarlet fever were dealt with at the Isolation Hospital, There was a notlbeabio decrease in the number of oases of tuberculosis notified, but in view of the evacuated population the figures are not of much value. Venereal Disease is not within the purview of the Local Authority, but is dealt with by the County Council. Child Welfare is dealt with at the Welfare Centre \^der the direction of Dr. Chappel. Maternity cases are dealt with by the District Nurses, the Ante-Natal Clinic being also under the direction of Dr, Chappel, The small maternity ward at the Hospital deals with all oases of difficult labour and as many of the cases in the distrlo as it can aocoraro.odate, The medical supervision of the civilian population has been greatly strained, as although the population has been greatly increased the number of medical men has been reduced.