London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
37
the purpose of seeing patients already known to them in their capacity as tuberculosis
officers, whether these patients are in general hospitals to which the tuberculosis
officers are attached as consultants or in other hospitals. In areas where a
general hospital serves more than one borough, the tuberculosis officers concerned
arrange between them a rota to serve as honorary consultants at the hospital
serving their area.
Concerning arrangements for assessment, patients are assessed for contributions
based on their ability to pay. Prior to 1st April, 1933, two methods of procedure
were in operation according to whether the cases were classified as "tuberculosis
scheme" or "municipal" {i.e., general hospital) patients. In the case of the former,
the assessments were made by tuberculosis care committees, subject to review by
the Central Public Health Committee, while the latter were assessed by local public
assistance committees. Frequently the same patient came successively within the
mesh of each of the two systems. As from 1st April, 1933, instead of, as formerly,
dealing with patients falling within specified medical categories under the tuberculosis
scheme and treating others as "municipal" patients, it was decided that all patients
should be treated under the Council's tuberculosis scheme, and that all assessments
should be made by the tuberculosis care committees, subject, however, to review by
the Public Assistance Committee instead of by the Central Public Health
Committee.
The following table shows the development of the provision for residential
treatment in London since 1914. The figures include cases dealt with by the London
Insurance Committee between 1914 and May, 1921.
Residential
treatment.
| Year. | Adults. | Children. | Total. | Year. | Adults, | Children. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | 722 | 90 | 812 | 1924 | 1,612 | 746 | 2,358 |
| 1915 | 544 | 241 | 785 | 1925 | 1,668 | 792 | 2,460 |
| 1916 | 481 | 320 | 801 | 1926 | 1,841 | 880 | 2,721 |
| 1917 | 526 | 375 | 901 | 1927 | 1,946 | 884 | 2,830 |
| 1918 | 816 | 376 | 1,192 | 1928 | 1,920 | 855 | 2,775 |
| 1919 | 1,308 | 557 | 1,865 | 1929 | 2,083 | 858 | 2,941 |
| 1920 | 1,636 | 704 | 2.340 | 1930 | 2,017 | 890 | 2,907 |
| 1921 | 1,382 | 669 | 2,051 | 1931† | 2,255 | 898 | 3,153 |
| 1922 | 1,370 | 655 | 2,025 | 1932† | 2,368 | 811 | 3,179 |
| 1923 | 1,458 | 707 | 2,165 | 1933† | 3,345 | 787 | 4,132 |
The following table indicates the number of applications from adults for residential treatment under the tuberculosis scheme during each of the last five years ; the increase in the figures for 1933 being principally due to the inclusion of patients formerly accounted for as " municipal " cases, treated in general hospitals.
| Year. | Application for first period of treatment. | Application for further treatment. | Total applications. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex- service. | Civilian male. | Female. | Ex-service. | Civilian male. | Female. | ||
| 1929 | 34 | 2,245 | 1,910 | 278 | 882 | 656 | 6,005 |
| 1930 | 19 | 2,331 | 1,814 | 204 | 943 | 667 | 5,978 |
| 1931 | 26 | 2,276 | 1,834 | 230 | 1,021 | 787 | 6,174 |
| 1932 | 18 | 2,191 | 1,811 | 159 | 1,162 | 779 | 6,120 |
| 1933 | 2 | 2,793 | 2,121 | 155 | 1,707 | 1,113 | 7,891 |
Of the 7,891 adult cases recommended during 1933 for residential treatment
under the tuberculosis scheme, 98 were subsequently withdrawn, 7,567 were accepted
and 226 were either admitted to the Council's general hospitals or were not accepted
for residential treatment. The 7,567 cases were disposed of as follows:—(a) 1,595
were passed for admission to "observation" beds in order to determine "diagnosis"
or " suitability for sanatorium treatment "; (6) 5,972 were passed for admission
† These figures include cases classified as " municipal " cases but treated in sanatoria,
‡ These figures include cases formerly dealt with as " municipal " cases independently of the tuberculosis
scheme both in sanatoria and in general hospitals.