View report page

11
New Cases referred to the Chest Clinic
I have figures to show that Woolwich Chest Clinic, with a population of
152,800, saw and examined 1,558 new cases at the request of general
practitioners in 1956. Bromley has a population of 154,110 and saw 1,128
new cases. These were cases referred with chest symptoms, and of course
few, relatively, were found to be tuberculous. A large variety of other
chest diseases such as cancer of the lung, bronchiectasis or emphysema
were discovered. During the same year 1,331 new cases were seen at
Deptford.
Mass Miniature Radiography
I understand that the yield of abnormalities on Mass X-ray in S.E.
London boroughs is 50% greater than that of the national average. The
Unit has been visiting Deptford and surrounding areas very frequently,
almost continuously in the last two years. A considerable number of
cases of tuberculosis and of other lung diseases have been found as a
result.
Carrington House
Persons who frequent this Institution, which has 800 to 900 beds, are
known to be prone to tuberculosis as a result of the unsatisfactory mode
of existence in so many instances. I see a large number of Carrington
House men at Deptford Chest Clinic, some of whom are found to have
tuberculosis. As a class they present many difficult problems which often
involve myself and my staff in a good deal of time and effort, all too
frequently without avail. They are hard to follow up in their treatment,
tend to move about from place to place, and their habits and uncooperative
ways waste a lot of my time. Their self discharge rate from
hospitals and sanatoria is high, which means that I may be faced with the
same type of problem over and over again with the same man.
In 1956, the tuberculosis cases in Carrington House fell into two main
groups, consisting of 18 brand new cases diagnosed during 1956 and also
13 known cases of tuberculosis who moved into Carrington House from
outside areas.
Inward Transfers
Of these 13 Inward Transfers, only one man remains in Carrington
House, 18 months later, at the time of writing. The average length of
stay in the borough of the rest was a little short of four months. Of the
12 "birds of passage", five moved to common lodging houses outside the
borough, one having been barred from Carrington House by alcoholism —
a not-uncommon blemish. Of the remainder, three disappeared without
a trace, two went to hospital or sanatorium, one went to a tuberculosis
hostel run by the L.C.C., and one died. Seven of the 13 men were born in
England, five came from Ireland and one from Scotland. Of the seven
Englishmen, three were Londoners. Eleven had labouring occupations,