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REPORT OF CONSULTANT PHYSICIAN,
CAMBERWELL CHEST CLINIC
The most important happening during the year has been
the transfer of the Chest Clinic to St. Giles' Hospital. We now
have our own X-ray apparatus for taking all types of X-rays
and also a miniature camera somewhat similar to that used in
the Mass X-ray Centres. As a result of this transfer the X-ray
work previously done at St. Giles' and St. Francis' Hospitals on
our patients can now be carried out in this department, with
a corresponding increase in the amount of out-patient time
available in the X-ray departments of these two hospitals. The
patient referred by the general practitioner for a chest X-ray
has a miniature X-ray unless a specific request has been made for
some other form of examination. Both the doctor and patient
are notified within 48 hours of the result of the X-ray, and in
cases where this is abnormal the patient is sent an appointment
for a full clinical examination and further X-ray investigations.
Although the patient may have to wait as in ordinary medical
out-patients for the second series of chest X-rays, the total time
elapsed between being seen by his own general practitioner and
the physician in the chest department has now been very greatly
reduced.
With the aid of the miniature camera it has proved possible
to X-ray rapidly such groups as schoolchildren, pregnant mothers
and residents in various local institutions. It is expected that as
this service becomes better known among the general practitioners
and the local health authorities progressively more
X-rays will be taken. It is also expected that as more X-rays
are taken on the miniature camera, instead of as hitherto on the
large apparatus in the two aforementioned hospitals, the cost of
this work will be reduced considerably, since a miniature film
costs approximately 6d. and a large film approximately 3s. 6d.
During 1957, 6,164 new out-patients attended and 11,763
chest X-rays were taken for the department. A recent analysis
of the work done during one month shows that the following
number of new cases were seen :
(a) Respiratory Tuberculosis 20
(b) Cardiovascular disease 9
(c) Neoplasm 5
(d) Acute Respiratory Disease 52
(e) Chronic Respiratory Disease 48
(f) Other Chest Conditions 12