[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Surrey County Council.

  • Surrey (England). County Council.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Surrey County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    53/66 (page 53)
    The ambulance service is now settling down into a well knit organisation with its own esprit de corps. An outstanding feature is the way in which the County service and the voluntary bodies work together in the happiest relationship. The personnel, however, have in many instances to wrork under very difficult conditions, and although the situation is gradually improving, progress towards the development of adequate ambulance stations is still very slow. Great efforts were made in various directions to reduce the volume of ambulance work, which had been steadily increasing since the inception of the new service, and there was, in fact, a decrease in the number of patients carried and the total mileage covered. Marked economies have been achieved where certain hospitals have taken energetic action to organise a transport check system. Other hospitals have not yet found it possible to control and co-ordinate their demands, no doubt owing to their own internal difficulties. In conclusion, I wish to express my very great appreciation of the loyalty and willingness of all members of my staff throughout the year. I am, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, K. A. SOUTAR, County Medical Officer and School Medical Officer. GENERAL STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS. Area. No changes affecting the area of the Administrative County or the boundaries of the County Districts took place during the year. Population. The population of the Administrative County at the 1951 Census was 1,351,963, and the Registrar- General’s estimate of the population at mid-year 1951 was 1,355,700, a decrease of 2,810 over the comparable figure for mid-year 1950. The Registrar-General’s mid-year estimate of the population for the Urban and Rural areas during each of the five years 1947-1951 is shown in the following table :— 1947. 1948. 1949. 1950. 1951. Urban Districts... Rural Districts ... 1,167,410 136,720 1,182,520 142,380 1,192,800 144,460 1,211,720 146,790 1,204,700 151,000 Administrative County 1,304,130 i 1,324,900 1,337,260 1,358,510 1,355,700 Increase or decrease over previous year ... + 34,880 + 20,770 + 12,360 + 21,250 -2,810