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25
Mass X-Ray Service
(This report was kindly supplied by the Organising Secretary of the
South West London Mass X-Ray Service.)
In 1961 the Mobile Units of the South-West London Mass X-Ray
Service made 60 visits to firms and organisations in the City of
Westminster, during which 19,494 parsons were examined; 58 were
referred to Chest Clinics. Three Colleges were also visited in connection
with the London County Council's B.C.G. Inoculation Scheme, to X-Ray
students who were positive reactors to the tuberculin skin tests.
During April, May and June, a Mass X-Ray Centre was open at the
New Gallery, 123 Regent Street, W.I., which was attended by over
eleven thousand employees from firms, shops and offices in the W.l.
district. In addition to the usual programme where attendance is by
appointment, special lunchtime and early evening sessions were held this
year, which were well attended by staff working in small shops and offices,
catering and hairdressing establishments etc., for whom the fixed appointment
system is not practical. Twenty-one people X-Rayed here were
referred for further investigation.
A Mass X-Ray Unit was installed for three weeks on the premises
of a large organisation in the Strand, where 4,403 were X-Rayed from
their staff, and from staff of other business-houses in the vicinity: seven
cases were sent to Chest Clinics.
The same Unit later spent a week at The Admiralty, and three weeks
at The Board of Trade, and X-Rayed 6,000 civil servants from Ministries
in Whitehall, of whom eight were referred for further investigation.
The regular monthly visits to Bruce House, the L.C.C. Lodging
House in Kemble Street, W.C.2, which were begun in 1958, were continued
throughout 1961. During the year, letters of invitation were sent to all
newcomers there, and, in all 529 residents were X-Rayed, of whom
seventeen were tuberculous, and three others were referred to Chest
Hospitals. Visits were also made to The Salvation Army Hostel and
The Church Army Hostel in Great Peter Street.
The six-monthly service for men over forty-five years of age, which
was inaugurated in South London in December 1958, in an attempt to
provide some protection against the hazards of lung cancer, is still in
operation, and some eighteen thousand men are attending the SouthWest
London Mass X-Ray Units. Over fifty firms in Westminster are
co-operating, by making it possible for their male employees in this age
group to attend twice a year, either at their place of work or at a convenient
centre. Fifty-eight visits to Westminster have been made to provide
this special service, including those made to the Gatliff Road and Monck
Street Public Cleansing Depots, to X-Ray members of the City
Council's Staff.