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MASS RADIOGRAPHY
Mass radiography is undertaken on behalf of the Minister of Health by the
Regional Hospital Boards. The new borough of Kensington and Chelsea is within the area of
two Regional Hospital Boards; for the northern part of the borough the North West Metropolitan
Regional Hospital Board operates the mass X-ray unit No. 5A from 285 Harrow Road,
W.9., and for the southern part of the borough the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Board operates a mass X-ray unit from the Western Hospital, Seagrave Road, S.W.6.
The purpose of mass radiography is twofold:-
(i) to find abnormalities of the chest and, in particular, tuberculosis and
cancer of the lungs, and
(ii) to give those whose X-ray is within "normal limit" a certain degree of
security.
During 1965, sixteen visits were made by these Units, including the annual visit
to the Chelsea Col lege of Science and Technology and the College of St. Mark and St. John
to X-ray students and staff. Other visits included those to X-ray the staff of two large stores,
the Power Station in Lots Road, the Chelsea Engineering College, an engineering firm, a
hospital and two hostels. A special survey was also made of shop premises in Beauchamp
Place and the vicinity.
Cases of tuberculosis discovered amongst those attending from the borough are
not recorded separately, but in the year under review, a total of 106,290 people were
examined by the South West London units, as a result of which 168 cases of active pulmonary
tuberculosis were referred to Chest Clinics for treatment. Fifty-four of these cases were
infectious.
In addition, 226 cases of tuberculosis were detected requiring occasional outpatient
supervision only. 127 malignant neoplasms were discovered, of which 119 were
primary carcinomas, and these are included in the figure of 966 cases under the heading
"non-tuberculous conditions" which were referred for further investigation and necessary
treatment.