View report page

56
saries for six months was to enable the Borough Council as the Sanitary
Authority to consider seriously their position and the advisability of the
Council establishing and maintaining a Municipal Dispensary. It will therefore
be necessary for the Council to consider immediately the course they will
adopt in connection with the subject. All things being considered, it is, in my
opinion, an opinion shared by those best qualified to judge, that Municipal
Dispensaries are, from the point of view of efficiency and economy and on the
grounds of administrative expediency, the schemes of the future. A municipally
controlled Dispensary would result in a co-ordination of the work of
the Borough Council, and of that of the other agencies working in the Borough
for the eradication of Tuberculosis. Under such a scheme these agencies
assisting the Council's work could be given a representation on the Dispensary
Committee. The linking up of domiciliary treatment of insured persons with
Dispensary treatment would be facilitated, and the Medical Officer of the
Dispensary would become, as the Tuberculosis Officer, an Officer of the
Borough Council, independent, so far as clinical work is concerned, of any other
officer, but under the administrative control of the Medical Officer of Health.
His services would also be available as consultant for the Medical Practitioners
carrying out domiciliary treatment.
The Council, will, in respect of insured persons, if the Tuberculosis Dispensary
is carried on as a Municipal Dispensary, receive from the Insurance
Commissioners such payments as must be made in connection with the
treatment of such insured persons. It is estimated that two-thirds of the
maintenance of local Tuberculosis Dispensaries will be paid through the
Insurance Commissioners.
(Signed) G. Quin Lennane,
Medical Officer of Health.
Ordered by the Health Committee to be circulated.
W. Marcus Wilkins,
Town Clerk.
The Health Committee on consideration of the Report of the
Medical Officer of Health, reported to the Council that they were
in favour of the principle of the establishment of a Municipal
Dispensary in the Borough.
In November, 1911, a Tuberculosis Dispensary was established
in Battersea at 179 Bridge Road by voluntary subscriptions,
and which, for purposes of the Insurance Act, was temporarily
approved by the Local Government Board for a period of six
months expiring in January, 1913. A conference was arranged
between the Health Committee, the Committee of the Battersea
Dispensary for the Prevention of Consumption, and the (temporary)
Local Insurance Committee. At the Conference, which
held two sittings, certain proposals were discussed but no decision
was arrived at.
Subsequently the Health Committee reported to the Council
on the 8th January, 1913, as follows: —
"We have had under consideration the question of a Tuberculosis
Dispensary for the Borough in connection with the