View report page

22
In addition, representatives from the London Insurance Committee and
War Pensions Committee were elected on it. The functions and duties
of those committees have already been described by the medical officer of
health. So far the results of their deliberations have been disappointing
as regards constructive action. Assessments on parents have been duly
made and home conditions have been discussed, but beyond this little has
been achieved, as the committee has no funds to administer. It is proposed
in the county of Surrey to make grants from county funds in order to
allow authorised care committees to deal in a practical form with tuberculosis
after-care problems. This is what is required in Westminster,
so that the tuberculosis care committee may be able to grapple
tangibly with the needs of the patient in his home life and in his work.
War Pensions Committees.—A considerable degree of overlapping has
occurred in regard to the treatment of discharged tuberculous soldiers.
Some time ago it happened that the W.P.C. through their medical
referee were arranging for institutional treatment for a case, when
at the same time the patient being an insured person was being treated
and arranged for by the tuberculosis medical officer in conjunction with
his panel doctor as authorised by the Local Government Board. The
objects of the two parties are sometimes identical and sometimes divergent.
Surely this example points the need for a unified health control.
Consider the needless waste of time of medical and non-medical officials
on one such case! The confusion and overlapping is still going on but
in a very much less flagrant fashion owing to a working arrangement which
was agreed upon by the officials of the local branches of the W.P.C. and
the tuberculosis medical officer.
New patients were sent for examination, See., by the following :—
Recruiting or National Service Boards 140
Medical practitioners 148
Health visitors 280
London Insurance Committee 17
Westminster Health Society 27
St. Henry Fund 12
Westminster City Council 2
Friends, other patients, &c. 66
London County Council 12
War Pensions Committee 5
Infant clinic 4
Hospitals 5
718