[Report 1964] / School Medical Officer of Health, West Suffolk County Council.

  • West Suffolk (England). County Council.
Date:
1964
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1964] / School Medical Officer of Health, West Suffolk County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Telephone No: Bury St. Edmunds 2281 Westgate House, Bury St. Edmunds. To the Chairman and Members of the West Suffolk County Council. Mr. Chairman Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the honour to present the annual report of the County Medical Officer of Health, dealing with the Health and Welfare Services of the Administrative County for the year ended 31st December, 1964. The population in the Administrative County continues to expand due to natural increase and the continuing influence of immigration from the London area. The estimated population as at 30th June, 1964, totalled 139,450 as compared with 137,760 for the previous year. The health of the population as judged by the vital statistics continues to be very satisfactory. The adjusted death rate, which takes account of the age and sex constitution of the community, as compared with the country as a whole amounted to 10.3 per thousand, which is 0.3 lower than the previous year, and substantially lower than the national rate of 11.3. The total number of live births after adjustment for inward and outward transfers again reached a record of 2, 643, giving a live birth rate of 19.1 per thousand of population as compared with 18.4 for England and Wales. The infant mortality rate was 20.4 as compared with 16.3 for the previous year. The perinatal rate of 29.4 again shows an improvement on the previous year but continues to be in excess of the national rate of 28.2. It is with regret I have to record that the West Suffolk Water Board have not as yet decided to implement the request of the Council to the adjustment of the fluorine content of the public water supplies, a matter of great public health importance on which I reported in some detail last. The 10-Year Plan continues to develop satisfactorily and it may be said that the Council have so far as the major capital projects are concerned been able to keep the programme of building up-to-date. The new Health Clinic, Looms Lane, Bury St. Edmunds; the Old People's Home, Health Clinic and Ambulance Depot, Acton Place, Sudbury; and the Senior Training Centre, Hollow Road, Bury St. Edmunds, are at the time of writing all in the hands of the contractors and I am pleased to record that good progress is being made. In addition, the new Home for the Aged at Hadleigh was practically completed at the end of the year and at the time of writing it has been fully occupied and brought into use.