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of them make use of it. In addition to members of the public, many patients are
referred there by general practitioners, and local firms and organisations also make
arrangements for their employees to attend.
During 1959. 15,785 X-ray examinations were carried out at the Fulham Centre,
of which total 6,408 were doctors patients.
A Mobile Unit carried out seven visits to factory and other premises in the
Borough, including one at which staff of the Fulham Town Hall were X-rayed. As a
result of these visits a further 1,374 examinations were made.
Five Fulham firms and organisations are co-operating in the attempt, being made
by the Mass X Ray Services of South London, to afford some protection against the
hazards of lung cancer, which is causing an increasing number of deaths, particularly
in men in the older age groups, by making it possible for their male employees to use
the special six monthly Chest X-Ray Service for men over 45. This service is also
available to men of that age group who live in the Borough, and an increasing number
of them receive regular six monthly appointments to attend the Mass X-Ray Centre at
the Western Hospital.
FULHAM CHEST CLINIC - ANNUAL REPORT, 1959
(SUPPLIED BY COURTESY OF DR. H C. PRICE - CHEST PHYSICIAN)
1959 was the first complete year of routine work carried out in the new Chest
Clinic at the Western Hospital.
It was hoped that the new layout would increase the efficiency and smooth running
of the clinic, and this expectation has been amply justified in practice. This is
particularly noticeable in regard to the flexibility of the wet film service during
clinic sessions and the easy running of two clinic sessions simultaneously.
A bronchography session is now held as required on a Thursday afternoon, including
in-patients from the Chest Unit. The allergy clinic has been extended somewhat
during the year, though this investigation is very time-consuming, particularly with
the extensive range of sensitivity tests, both dermatographic and aerosol which are
now available.
Daily breathing exercise classes have been held almost continuously during the
year, but these have had to be suspended from time to time due to the shortage of
physiotherapy staff. It is hoped that this situation will be remedied in the coming
year with the appointment of an additional member of the staff.
Pulmonary function, chiefly ventilatory function, is playing an increasingly
important role in chest clinic work. During the present year the Wright Peak Flow
Expiratory Meter has been the main instrument in use but it is hoped to correlate
this with other apparatus and by means of more extensive studies using the modified
Bernstein light weight bell spirometer this coming year.
TUBERCULOSIS
The total notifications for 1959 was 76, showing a further fall from the 95 of
the previous year, two of these being the non pulmonary variety, which also showed a
decrease from the 9 in 1958.
The number of deaths fell from 30 to 21, these were all cases of pulmonary
disease.
Total attendances (7 663), however, have shown a marked rise the pattern of
earlier years has continued, following the fall in 1958 due to the disruption of the
move. The present figure is slightly below the high figure of 7,711 in 1955.