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49
Dental Treatment of Tuberculosis Patients.
The new Scheme, connected with the dental departments of
King's College and St. Thomas's Hospital respectively, which came
into operation on October 1st, 1924, is still working. The fees
payable are a flat rate of (not exceeding) 5s. per attendance, with an
additional fee for anaesthetic of 5s. per attendance for extractions,
scalings, fillings and other dental treatment, excluding dentures,
which are charged for as follows:—Upper or lower dentures (not
exceeding) £2 10s. each, upper and lower dentures (not exceeding)
£5.* Judging by numbers, this new Scheme is not proving very
attractive to patients, who appear to prefer going to private dentists
rather than to make use of the two dental centres at King's College
and St. Thomas's Hospitals. Students at Hospitals are not
appreciated!
Branch Tuberculosis Dispensary (St. Thomas's Hospital).
With the approval of the Ministry of Health, at a Conference
held on May 16th, 1927, certain administrative changes, in connection
with St. Thomas's Hospital Branch Tuberculosis Dispensary,
have been made, with a view to closer co-ordination with the
Council's Public Health Department, and, to secure such, the
Medical Staff at the Hospital, and the Nursing or Health-Visiting
Staff carrying out the tuberculosis work, have been appointed
officers of the Lambeth Borough Council (for the administration
of the Tuberculosis Regulations)†; whilst definite arrangements
have been made for the more systematic examination of "contacts"
and patients or "suspects" at their homes by the Assistant Tuberculosis
Officer (for visiting purposes), appointed by the Hospital
Governors, with the approval of the Ministry of Health. All dispensary
patients are visited at their homes by the Dispensary health
visitors, including, also, first visits made on receipt of notifications,
copies of which are supplied to the Tuberculosis Officers concerned.
The original agreement with St. Thomas's Hospital Governors was
entered into by the Borough Council on September 30th, 1924, and,
by this agreement, the Governors undertook, inter alia, to appoint
an adequate and experienced staff of Health Visitors, and the
Borough Council to appoint them and the Tuberculosis Officer,
officers of the Borough Council for the purposes of the Tuberculosis
Regulations; and, further, that examinations of patients and
"contacts" should be made by the Tuberculosis Officer at their
homes in certain circumstances, and the place of residence of each
dispensary patient visited by one of the Dispensary Health Visitors.
*Dentures are paid for by the Council (wholly or partly) only when such
are certified as essential for effective tuberculosis treatment).
†These officers consist of Dr. G. T. Hebert (Tuberculosis Officer), Dr.
A. I. G. McLaughlin (Assistant Tuberculosis Officer for Visiting Purposes),
Miss Isobel Gordon (Secretary) and Miss Bertha Graveson (Tuberculosis Health
Visitor).
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