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
City of Westminster 1932
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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46
CITY OF WESTMINSTER TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY.
Annual Report, 1932.
The work of the Dispensary has followed the usual routine throughout.
Four hundred and eighty-four new patients were seen by the Tuberculosis
Officer throughout the year, as compared with 400 in 1931 and 341 in
1930. Two hundred and eighty-seven of the new cases were considered
to be tubercular subjects, though not all at an active stage of the disease.
In addition, 48 cases were recommended for institutional treatment by
general hospitals. Necessary action, with regard to these cases was
taken by the Dispensary staff and the Care Committee, and many of
them will attend the Dispensary after institutional treatment.
The sources from which new cases were obtained during the past three years are shown in the following table :—
| 1930. | 1931. | 1932. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practitioners | 139 | 152 | 164 |
| Health Visitors | 121 | 134 | 196 |
| St. Stephen's Hospital | ' 41 | 76 | 82 |
| Ministry of Pensions | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| School Medical Officer | 15 | 18 | 16 |
| Hospitals | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Referred by Friends, Charitable Organisations, etc. | 12 | 8 | 18 |
| 341 | 400 | 484 |
The increase in the number of new patients during the past year may
be attributed partly to the normal annual fluctuation in the number of
available patients, and possibly also to the return of the Dispensary to
its well-known situation at Ebury Bridge. It may be noted that there is
a proportional increase in the number of cases referred by Health Visitors.
This reflects an increase in the number of contact cases examined. This
increase is particularly among female adult contacts. As has been
pointed out, owing to the preponderant types of case occurring in Westminster,
the number of available child contacts is smaller than in many
other districts.
The number of cases first seen at St. Stephen's Hospital also shows an
increase. The importance of the collaboration between the medical
officers of the hospital and the Tuberculosis Officer has been stressed in
previous reports.