London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1946
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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30
Service
patients
A reduced, though still considerable, number of Service patients attended the
clinics in the Scheme, totalling 1,181. Service attendances, numbering 3,756, were
made at the clinics and 6,322 Service pathological tests were carried out in the
approved laboratories. These figures are included in the above tables.
Most of these patients were referred by the Service medical authorities in special
circumstances to the civilian clinics for continuation treatment, and they represent
only a very small proportion of the total number treated at the centres, viz., 3 per
cent, of new cases, 0-8 per cent, of attendances and 1-7 per cent, of pathological tests.
Additional
in-patient
treatment
In addition to the in-patient treatment provided in direct association with the
clinics, the Council's Sheffield Street Hospital (50 beds) continued to admit pregnant
women suffering from venereal disease, and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children,
Carshalton, continued to provide the unit (26 beds) for children suffering from congenital
syphilis and vulvo-vaginitis.
Propaganda
Propaganda by means of posters and advertisements in the daily press has been
continued throughout the year, and full use has been made of the services provided
by the Central Council for Health Education, to which body the Council pays an
annual grant.
Hostels
The accommodation provided by the two hostels, viz., Highbury (Quadrant and
the Salvation Army Hostel, 122/124, Lower Clapton Road, remaining in the Scheme
at the end of 1945, has proved to be sufficient for present needs.
Defence
Regulation
33b
In contrast to conditions during and immediately following the war, the number
of notifications, under Defence Regulation 33B, of alleged contacts has, in 1946,
shown a sharp decline. This is no doubt largely due to the withdrawal from London
of the majority of allied Service men and the extensive demobilisation of our own
forces. Service conditions were apparently very favourable for securing from patients
information of the alleged source of infection and there is probably far more reticence
among civilians concerning their private lives. The number of alleged contacts
reported in 1946 was 667, compared with 2,030 in 1945.
The following statement summarises the work of the past four years :—
| 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | ||
| (1) | (a) Total number of contacts in respect of whom form 1 was received | 34 | 620 | 11 | 1,333 | 21 | 2,009 | 28 | 639 |
| (b) Number in (a) transferred from other areas | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | - | 9 | |
| (2) | Number of cases in (1) in which attempts were made outside the scope of the Regulation to persuade the contact to be examined before the latter had been named on a second form 1 | 20 | 190 | 7 | 528 | 15 | 856 | 20 | 338 |
| Contacts found | 10 | 94 | 7 | 328 | 13 | 473 | 15 | 167 | |
| Contacts examined or already under treatment | 9 | 70 | 6 | 199 | 12 | 343 | 10 | 122 | |
| (3) | Number of those in (1) in respect of whom two or more forms 1 were received | -_ | 60 | - | 172 | 3 | 292 | - | 83 |
| (4) | Number of those in (3) who were:— | - | - | ||||||
| (a) found | - | 37 | - | 123 | 2 | 202 | - | 58 | |
| (b) examined after persuasion or already under treatment | - | - | - | - | 7 | - | 5 | ||
| (c) served with form 2 | - | 32 | - | 123 | — | 195 | - | 53 | |
| - | 29 | - | 103 | 2 | 170 | - | 49 | ||
| (e) prosecuted for failure— | |||||||||
| (i) to fittend for, and submit to, medical examination | - | 3 | - | 10 | - | 15 | - | 11 | |
| (ii) to submit to and continue treatment | - | - | - | 4 | - | 25 | - | 26 | |
| (/) transferred to other areas | - | - | - | - | - | 24 | - | 8 | |