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CONTACT EXAMINATION.
There has been a considerable improvement in the work of examination
and follow-up of contacts, leading to a number of child contacts being
vaccinated with B.C.G. The vaccination is available to all mantoux negative
student nurses commencing their training at the Fulham, Western and
St. Mary Abbot's Hospitals, and the majority avail themselves of this form
of protection. A number of investigations amongst school children have
been undertaken in conjunction with the Divisional School Medical Officer
of the London County Council In line with similar investigations
elsewhere, it has been found that the school staffs and
school leavers are most probably the sections that are most exposed to
risk and those which need to be closely investigated as a regular routine.
TREATMENT OF NEW CASES AT HOME. IN HOSPITALS AND SANATORIA.
The clinic treatment sessions and especially the A.P.sessions and the
home visiting, have expanded tremendously, and there is every indication
that they will continue to do so until the Tuberculosis problem in Fulham
is under control. The better use of the eight treatment beds in the
Western Hospital has been instrumental in the last three years in reducing
the numbers of patients admitted to Sanatoria. A very good liaison has
been created between this clinic and King George V, Sanatorium, Godaiming.
It is now a modern surgical unit, resulting in the more rapid intake of
early treatable cases which are suitable for sanatorium or surgical treatment.
This has accordingly reduced the waiting list for this type of patient
to within the region of two or three months. Unfortunately,it is not
true that similar liaison with Sanatoria dealing with female patients has
been established, with a result that the waiting period for this sex is
often up to six months.
CONVALESCENCE.
The need for a number of good Convalescent Homes in this area of
London is still very great. Many patients who have successfully completed
their home treatment are capable of returning to work after a varying period
of convalescence without resort to sanatorium treatment. Again many
patients not requiring domiciliary chemo-therapy, but whose homes are unsuitable,
could return to work after a period of convalescence without occupying
a sanatorium bed. Much greater priority needs to be given to
this side of the problem in the future.
CHRONIC SICK.
The problem of the chronic tuberculous patient still remains to be
adequately tackled. Many beds that were available to chronic cases are
now only accepting patients in early stages of the disease, and there is
increasing failure to realise that many so-called chronic cases are