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Persons X-rayed by the two Mobile Mass Radiography Units of the Regional Hospital
Board which pay periodic visits to the borough, are referred to on page 103.
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR LONG-STAY IMMIGRANTS
With the growing numbers of long-stay immigrants who have come to this country
during recent years, special problems have arisen in connection with their health and
treatment. Many of them are unfamiliar with our customs and are, in particular, ignorant
of the scope and arrangements of the National Health Service. They may, at first, live
under very difficult conditions and some of them are from countries where tuberculosis
is a serious hazard.
The problem has been to ensure that, at an early date, these immigrants learn to use
the Health Service. They are encouraged to have a chest X-ray as soon as possible
after arrival, if they come from a country with a high incidence of tuberculosis.
Arrangements were, therefore, made by the Ministry of Health for long-stay immigrants
to be given a leaflet at the port of entry, printed in several languages, encouraging
them to register with a medical practitioner so that, if necessary, a chest X-ray can be
arranged. In addition, these immigrants are asked to provide their destination addresses,
which are forwarded to the Medical Officer of Health of the area concerned.
In this borough, the public health inspector visits each address of which the
department is informed and newly-arrived immigrants are again urged to register with a
doctor and further copies of the leaflet are supplied, in cases where the original has
been mislaid.
During the year, 278 advice notes, of immigrant arrivals, were received in the
department from various ports of entry and successful contact was made in 130 instances.
Of the remaining 148, some had moved to addresses outside the borough and details were
forwarded to the authority concerned but the majority were either not known or had never
arrived at the address given.
PUBLIC HEALTH (PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS) REGULATIONS, 1925.
These regulations provide that persons suffering from tuberculosis of the respiratory
tract shall not be employed in the handling of milk or milk receptacles. Power is given
to the Council to cause such persons to discontinue their employment. It was not found
necessary to take action under the Regulations during the year.
B.C.G. VACCINATION
The numbers of children vaccinated during the year, under the Council's scheme for
the B.C.G. vaccination of susceptible (tuberculin negative) child contacts of known
19.