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

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Finsbury 1955

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

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88
Further progress in prevention arose from the introduction of
B.C.G. innoculation: Finsbury cases being dealt with at University
College Hospital.
From 1952 the waiting lists for hospitals and sanatoria became
shorter and for some time now patients can be admitted without delay
In February 1955, a complete new x-ray unit was installed, and
the Finsbury Chest Clinic, equipped now as it is, must be considered
one of the finest in the Health Service.
The After-Care work has been undertaken by the Tuberculosis
Health Visitor, and the Clerk to the Clinic became Secretary to the
Finsbury Tuberculosis Care Committee- This scheme works very well,
as the area is compact, and the cases and their problems are individually
known to the staff.
During the year 1955, a total number of 2,374 attendances were
made to the Chest Clinic. Of this total, 80 attended-for the first
time - as contacts of notified cases, and a further 290 were reexamined
as routine contact checks.
The number of new cases of tuberculosis taken on the clinic
register amounted to 29, of which 28 were pulmonary, and 1 only nonrespiratory
Of this total, 4 were contacts of previously notified
cases In addition to these new cases, a further 11 cases of pulmonary
tuberculosis - already notified - were transferred into the
borough from other areas.

The number of notified cases, therefore, shown on the register at the 31st December 1955, was as follows:

RespiratoryNon-respiratoryTotalsGrand Total
MW.Ch.M.W.Ch.MW.Ch.
12089213541239425242

Of this total figure of 242 - ten less than in the previous year46
specimens of tubercle bacilli were found to be positive out of a
total 310 specimens examined in the Laboratory.
During the year, 15 cases were removed from the register as
recovered; 14 were transferred out to other areas, 14 deaths were
recorded; and 7 cases were further removed as being "diagnosis not
confirmed' and 'lost sight of'.