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A new venture in the Borough was commenced this year by Unit 6A Commencing on the 3rd
October, 1967, the Unit is now stationed at Toynbee Hall, Aldgate, each Tuesday afternoon from
2-6 p.m.
I am indebted to the medical directors and organising secretaries for the information on
visits to the borough by the units during 1967 which will be found on page 100. (Details of
abnormalities ascertained are not yet available in respect of this year's survey and those
figures given relate to 1966).
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, 506 advice notes, of immigrant arrivals, were received in the department
from various ports of entry and successful contact was made in 271 instances. Of the
remaining 235 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
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