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59
The Dispensary treatment of school children is carried on in
close co-operation with the School Medical Service, and the Springwell
House Open Air School on Clapham Common North Side, has,
in this connection, carried on useful work during the year, particulars
of which will be found in the report of the Tuberculosis
Medical Officer on p. 126.
The Tuberculosis Care Committee, the constitution of which
will be found on p. 2, met weekly at the Tuberculosis Dispensary
during the year, and details of the work of the Committee will be
found set out on pp. 127 to 129.
Dental facilities for tuberculous patients were first provided by
the Council in 1922. A weekly session is held at the Dental Centre,
Southlands, and patients requiring treatment or the provision of
dentures are referred to the Clinic by the Tuberculosis Medical
Officer. The number of sessions held during 1932 was 52, and 246
attendances were made, the average attendance per session being
4.73. The net cost to the Council during the financial year 1932-33
for this service was £109 7s. 4d. Full details of the work carried
out are given in the report on the work of the Dispensary in the
Appendix (p. 126).
Institutional treatment is provided by the London County
Council for Battersea patients, this form of treatment being
arranged for in the majority of cases through the Tuberculosis
Dispensary.
The principal work carried out at the Dispensary during 1932
is summarised as follows :—
Patients and Attendances.
The number of new patients was 547 (392 adults, 155 children),
and the number of contacts examined was 212 (100 adults, 112
children), 30 of whom were kept under observation and were
entered on the Dispensary roll as new patients. There were 22
patients (adults) transferred from other areas during the year who
attended the Dispensary, making a total of 781 new patients and
contacts.
Of the 599 new patients, 193 were found to be tuberculous,
including 3 new cases discovered amongst the 212 contacts
examined.
The total number of attendances at the Dispensary during the
year was 3,741, as compared with 3,917 in 1931.
Visits to the homes of dispensary patients were made by the
Tuberculosis Officers in 159 instances, and 4,148 visits were made
by the Dispensary Nursing Staff. The number of deaths of dispensary
patients was 110 as compared with 117 in 1931. Forty-four
of the patients were discharged as "recovered" or "diagnosis not
confirmed" during the year, and 11 others ceased to attend, in
addition to 61 patients who removed to other districts.