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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE FULHAM CHEST CLINIC
The general improvement in the tuberculosis figures of recent years
has continued in the year under review - the notifications being 172 (191)
and the deaths 24. (27).
The year was chiefly noteworthy for the opening of the new X-Ray
Department at the Western Hospital and the appointment of a full-time
Radiographer. This new department is satisfying a long felt want and
already after only barely six months the number of X-rays have risen to
over a 100 per week. This new department is capable of dealing with all
types of chest investigation and it is to be hoped that this facility
will be used increasingly by the local General Practitioners.
Contact Investigations:
Several schools in the Borough have been investigated during the
year following the discovery of secondary cases amongst the school
children and this type of work will tend to increase following the welcome
decision of the London County Council to vaccinate with B.C.G
vaccine all school leavers who require it.
There has been a general increase in the work of investigating
contacts of known cases and the number of children in receipt of B.C.G.
vaccine has risen, from 90 - 160 this year.
Treatment:
The increase of treating patients in their homes and the seconding
of more General Hospital beds to tuberculosis work, together with the
slight fall in incidence in the disease, has greatly reduced the waiting
list for the in-patient treatment of women and eased the situation as
far as the men are concerned,,
The fall in the female waiting list is enabling many more patients
to be treated in hospital rather than in over-crovded and unsuitable
homes.
Chronic Tuberculosis and the Aged:
The quicker turn over of hospital beds and the increase in speed
of treatment of the acute case of pulmonary tuberculosis with, in
general, a shortening of the time away from work is tending more and
more to throw into relief the much greater and long term problem of the
chronic tuberculous patient; many of whom are cases from the prestreptomycin
era.
In fact the problem of the tuberculous is now more and more becoming
part of the general problem of the chronic sick and aged in
Fulham. The opening of Hurlingham Lodge Hostel, where first-class