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

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Kensington 1936

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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Patients awaiting admission to sanatorium, or where some intercurrent disease may have lowered
their resistance, also require extra nourishment.
During the year 51 patients received grants of extra nourishment for varying periods.
Residential Treatment.
There has been no financial obligation on the patients or their dependants in respect of residential
treatment provided by the London county council since 1934, and thus a larger number of patients
are willing to participate in the benefits.
The number of beds available has increased and the variety of hospitals, sanatoria and colonies
available has assisted in encouraging the patients to avail themselves of longer periods of treatment,
which are so essential even in the early stages of the disease. In addition, the methods of treatment
have improved in recent years. All this has meant that fewer patients are discharged in a condition
which necessitates home nursing by persons not fully realising the dangers of infection.
On 1st January, 1936, 141 patients on the dispensary register were undergoing residential
treatment in hospitals, sanatoria or colonies. During the year 232 cases were admitted, 174
discharged and 59 died in institutions. Of the patients discharged, 63 remained under three months,
81 three to six months, 28 six to twelve months, and 41 over twelve months.

Home Nursing. The cases of tuberculosis attended and the visits .paid by the nurses of the Kensington district nursing association during the past five years are shown in the following table :—

Year.Cases.Visits.
1932301,094
1933231,259
1934321,319
1935241,001
193623920

The nurses carry out their work splendidly and are very much appreciated.
Care Committee.
The tuberculosis care committee was established by the council in 1922 as an adjunct to the
other services.
Their function is to investigate the social and economic interests of the families both while the
patient is undergoing treatment and after discharge.
The committee is composed of representatives of the various voluntary organisations in the
district, and others interested in tuberculosis, including representatives of the Charity Organisation
Society, the Invalid Children's Aid Association, the United Services Fund, the local Public Assistance
Committee, the London Insurance Committee, the school care committee, together with members
of the borough council.
They help in connection with propaganda in the anti-tuberculosis campaign, the provision
of financial or other material assistance when such is deemed necessary, and in obtaining suitable
employment for patients. Since their inception they have been doing good work in a very difficult
task.
The obtaining of suitable employment for the tuberculous patient is a difficulty. In a few
cases the patient has refused to attend the dispensary or has requested that no enquiries should be
made, in case the employers, as in many cases they unfortunately do, take the view opposite to the
vital needs and interests of the patient, when an ample supply of labour is at their disposal.
Prior to 1934, a considerable part of the work was in the assessment of patients undergoing
residental treatment but this has now been abolished.
The committee meet once a month and investigate applications for (1) the supply of extra
nourishment, bed and bedding, (2) the provision of clothing by the London county council for
patients undergoing residential treatment, when this cannot be obtained from voluntary sources,
and (3) the boarding-out of children by the London county council where tuberculosis exists in the
family.
General.
Eighty per cent, of the cases of tuberculosis in Kensington are dealt with under the council's
scheme ; 65 per cent, of those persons who come in close contact with cases of tuberculosis are
medically examined and, if necessary, supervised under the council's scheme ; the proportion of
beds available in London county council hospitals, etc., for Kensington patients is 120 to every
100 deaths from this disease. These figures show that an efficient campaign against tuberculosis
is being conducted.
Public Health (Prevention of Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1925.
These regulations were introduced with a view to :—
(a) preventing persons suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis entering upon an
occupation involving the handling of milk ; and
(b) enabling local authorities, in proper cases and with suitable safeguards, to require
persons engaged in such occupation to discontinue their work when found to be
suffering from the disease in an infective stage.
During the year, no case occurred which required the attention of the council under the
regulations.