London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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The corresponding figures for previous years are :—
| 1948 | 2,401 |
| 1949 | 2,490 |
| 1950 | 2,368 |
| 1951 | 2,404 |
| 1952 | 2,575 |
| 1953 | 2,802 |
Chest Clinics
The Chest Clinics of the Regional Hospital Board at the Royal Northern
Hospital and the Royal Chest Hospital were, on 1st June, 1954, amalgamated and
transferred to new premises at St. Mary's Wing, Whittington Hospital.
Cases on Chest Clinic Registers
| Pulmonary | Non-Pulmonary | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults | Children | Adults | Children | Adults | Children | |||||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Number of definite cases of tuberculosis on Chest Clinic Register as at 31st December, 1954 | 1376 | 1075 | 116 | 83 | 70 | 96 | 16 | 19 | 1446 | 1171 | 132 | 102 |
| -Grand Total 2,851- | ||||||||||||
The corresponding figures for previous years are :—
| 1949 | 2,127 |
| 1950 | 2,238 |
| 1951 | 2,443 |
| 1952 | 2,575 |
| 1953 | 2,738 |
Tuberculosis Care Committee.
The London County Council is responsible for care work under the National
Health Service Act, 1946, but the Islington Tuberculosis Care Committee remains in
being, working in conjunction with the Islington Chest Clinic, and Members of the
Borough Council and the Medical Officer of Health serve on this Committee. Since
the opening of the new Chest Clinic at Whittington Hospital the work of the Care
Committee has also been centred there.
Loans of bedding or medical appliances were made to 39 patients; others have
been referred to various organisations for assistance.
Tuberculosis—Mass X-Ray Unit of the North West Metropolitan Regional
Hospital Board-
the year. Over 17,000 Islington residents were passed through the Unit, and close
liaison was maintained between the Unit and medical practitioners in the area. Dr.
G.Z. Brett continued to act as Physician-in-charge of the Mass X-Ray Unit.
Winter Epidemics
Towards the end of 1954 a request was received from the Ministry of Health,
acting through the Public Health Laboratory Service and the Medical Research
Council, requesting the assistance of the Department in regard to an investigation
of winter epidemics which might occur, with particular reference to influenza. It
was desired that selected general practitioners should act as 'spotters' and furnish
reports if and when occasion arose. The scheme included liaison between the