[Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Kettering Borough.

  • Kettering (England). Borough Council. no2009140039.
Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1945] / Medical Officer of Health, Kettering Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    8/48 (page 6)
    Public Health Department, Manor House, Kettering. July, 1946. To His Worship The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Kettering. Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen, I beg to present to you the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1945. The contents have been compiled in accordance with the suggestions in the Ministry of Health Circular No. 28/46 dated the 11th February, 1946. The vital statistics which are included are based on information supplied by the Registrar-General ; this was received on the 27th June, 1946. The Registrar-General’s estimate of the population of the Borough at the middle of the year 1945 is 34,560. The birth rate per 1,000 total population, although it has de- clined from 20.44 in 1944 to 19.47, is above that for England and Wales which is 16.1. The stillbirth rate is 0.31 per 1,000 total population compared with 0.46 for England and Wales ; this is the lowest figure for the Borough during the last 10 years with the exception of 1937 when it was 0.24. The stillbirth rate per 1,000 total births is 16.08 compared with 30.95 in 1944 ; this is the lowest figure during the last 10 years. The death rate from all causes per 1,000 total population is 11.83 compared with 13.5 for 1944 and 11.4 for England and Wales. Of the 409 deaths, diseases of the heart and circulatory system, cancer and tuberculosis accounted for 177, 69 and 26 respectively, making up together 69% of the whole number. The maternal mortality rate per 1,000 total births is nil for the third successive year and the infantile mortality rate, that is the number of deaths of children under 1 year per 1,000 live births is 32.68 compared with 46 for England and Wales. The statistics relating to the Borough, after more than 5 years of difficulties and restrictions in addition to shortages and overwork of medical, nursing and public health personnel due to war conditions, may be considered satisfactory, especially when compared with the figures for other areas which are shown on page 9. Notwithstanding these figures which relate only to births and deaths there is no doubt that the various shortages and difficulties in connection with food and other necessary articles, queues and transport problems have caused an increased amount of illness, especially amongst older people.