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

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Holborn 1933

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

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61
Non-attendance at Tuberculosis Dispensary.
Twenty-one of the 59 eases attended the Holborn Tuberculosis Dispensary.

The following indicates the reasons for non-attendance in the remaining cases:—

Removed to Hospitals, etc., for treatment without prior attendance at Dispensary18
Dead before notification or died before attendance at Dispensary13
Treatment at home by private doctor1
Not traced and common lodging house cases2
Removed from Borough4
38

Delayed Notification.
The Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations, 1930, requires notification
within 48 hours of the medical practitioner first becoming aware that the person is
suffering from tuberculosis. It is still found that medical practitioners do not
notify cases of this disease until tubercle bacilli have been found in the sputum
and in a number of cases notifications are not received until the death of the
patient or shortly before death takes place. In the past year nine cases were
notified only at death, six within one month of death, and two within three months
of death.
It is unfortunate that these Regulations continue the proviso in the Regulations of
1912 by which a medical practitioner is not required to notify a are of tuberculosis if he
has reasonable grounds for believing that the case has already been notified. It would seem
that any disadvantage accruing from duplication would be easily outweighed by the
advantage of the additional encouragement to promote early notification which would ensue
from the withdrawal of this proviso from the Regulations.
Institutional Treatment.
During the year notifications were received of 74 admissions to institutions.
These admissions represent 64 patients, some of whom are transferred from one
institution to another, and others are discharged, or take their own discharge,
and subsequently are re-admitted.
The admissions were to the following institutions: —
Institutions of the London County Council 55
Other institutions 19
Visits to Homes, etc.
During 1933 the Tuberculosis Officer made 36 visits to the homes of patients.
The general visitation of the patients and supervision of home conditions is carried
out by the Tuberculosis Nurse who made 1,176 visits.
The advice given by the Tuberculosis Nurse includes suggestions respecting
food and cooking and suitable cookery books are supplied free of charge.