London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hammersmith 1924

Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health of the Borough of Hammersmith for the year 1924

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62
Clinical Reports.
To the London County Council, numbered 542
To the Ministry of Pensions 135
To the local War Pensions Committee 149
To General Practitioners and Hospitals 334
Home Visitation.
The Tuberculosis Officer made 167 visits to homes of
patients for the purpose of examination, and investigation of
the hom conditions. In addition he met local practitioners
in consultation at the homes of patients on 28 occasions.
The Nurses visit the tuberculous population on notification
and thereafter as far as possible at intervals of six
months or less, as may appear advisable. During the year
3,156 such visits were made. This figure shows a decrease of
some 200 visits on the figures for 1923 and is to be explained
by the occurrence of illness of a member of the Staff.
In addition to the ordinary health visits paid by them
the Dispensary Nurses undertake duties in connection with
the investigation of the social circumstances of the households
in which the patients belong. The result of these enquiries
are submitted to the Tuberculosis Care Committee and form
the basis upon which the Committee makes its decision in the
assessment of individual cases. During the year 184 HomeEnquiry
Schedules were submitted to the Committee.
Tuberculosis Care Committee.
This Committee is formed of representatives of the following
bodies: the Borough Council, the County Council, the
Board of Guardians, the Red Cross Society, the United Services
Fund, the Charity Organisation, the Invalid Children's
Aid Association, the Labour Exchange, and the local Medical
Practitioners, and meets on the first and third Wednesday in
each month for the purpose of considering how patients and
their households can best be helped and the amount of contribution,
if any, which should be collected towards the cost
of institutional treatment under the London County Council
Tuberculosis Scheme.
The Committee met on 21 occasions during the year.
There were submitted by the staff 210 applications for
residential treatment, an increase of 41 compared with 1923.
The Committee decided in 131 of these cases that no payment
should be required in respect of such treatment. In the
remaining 69, assessments of varying amounts were made.
In 52 instances, reconsideration of these assessments was
rendered necessary at subsequent meetings, mainly by
changes in the family circumstances.