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78
Tuberculosis
The Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1952, provide for
the notification of tuberculosis and revoke and replace the Public
Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1930. The new regulations were
made because of the changes which had taken place in the operation
of the tuberculosis services consequent upon the coming into force of
the National Health Service Act, 1946, which placed the responsibility
for the prevention of tuberculosis and for the care and aftercare of
tuberculous persons as a statutory duty on the county councils and the
county borough councils, although at the same time the metropolitan
borough councils as sanitary authorities under the Public Health Act
have an important part to play in preventing the spread of tuberculous
infection. Copies of all notifications received are sent to the county
medical officer and to the local chest physician.
There is now no longer any requirement for a medical officer of
health to keep a register of notifications, nor do the regulations provide
for the supply of information relating to patients entering or leaving a
sanatorium. Hospital boards and committees have however been
asked by the Minister to continue to notify to the medical officer of
health the movements of such patients and the Minister urges medical
officers of health to continue to keep a tuberculosis register. This is
being done but the reliance on goodwill in maintaining an efficient
register seems a queer way of dealing with what is, and will be for
a few years yet, a very dangerous disease.
The number of primary notifications of new cases of tuberculosis
received during the year 1952, and deaths, together with comparative
figures for the previous year, were as follows:—

The age distribution of the new cases of tuberculosis notified by
formal notification and the deaths from tuberculosis during the year
are shown in the following tabl:—