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96
London County Council Scheme, inasmuch as patients attending
Hospitals as out-patients are accepted for Sanatorium benefit without
reference to the Tuberculosis Dispensary. I think these cases should
be notified and sent to the Tuberculosis Dispensary for their Form "A"
to be filled in. The present system makes it very difficult to keep in
touch with the patient, or even get them to attend at all.
When the patient is an in-patient at the Hospital, the state of
affairs is quite different, and in this case I see no objection to a Form
"A" being submitted direct from the Hospital.
In my own Hospital Clinics I always make a point of referring all
tuberculous patients to their appropriate Dispensary.
The insured patient often prefers to attend a Hospital, for at the
Dispensary we are not able to treat insured patients, whilst at the
Hospital they obtain both treatment and observation.
Housing continues to present a serious problem. A family has
recently come under my notice living in very poor conditions, of whom
four members were infected with tubercle.
I have visited New End Hospital on frequent occasions during the
year to keep in touch with any patients who are admitted there, and
have to thank Dr. Reade for his courtesy and help in keeping me in
touch with these cases.
Owing to the satisfactory manner in which cases have been got
away by the London County Council, we have not used the beds at New
End Hospital as much as usual.
We seem to have arrived at a more or less stationary condition in
the treatment of tuberculosis, and on these lines I think the Dispensary
has been working with smoothness and efficiency; but one feels that it
is time further efforts were made, especially with regard to advanced
cases, and the children of tuberculous parents, living as they do in a
constant state of subjection to heavy infection of the tubercle bacillus,
and lastly, the housing problem, which one hopes to see make some
advance during the present year.
The general health of the community depends in the first instance
on the medical practitioners in the Borough.
I have found the doctors in Hampstead always most willing to
co-operate, and have had many doubtful cases sent to the Dispensary
for investigation and observation. I am very grateful for their cooperation
and help in many cases.