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Dispensary for the southern part of Hackney. Later, in 1917, its area was
enlarged to include the whole of the Borough of Bethnal Green. Since then the
Tuberculosis Dispensary - or the Chest Clinic as it is now called - has witnessed
many important changes. The more important of these were a dramatic fall in
the incidence, prevalence and mortality relating to tuberculosis, an equally
dramatic rise in the incidence of lung cancer, and, finally, recognition of the
medical and social problems resulting from chronic bronchitis. These changes
have been seen against a background of considerable improvement in living
conditions in this area.
There are four other chest clinics within a two-mile radius of the London
Chest Hospital, and al1 are within the adjoining Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and
Hackney. It has now been agreed that from the latter part of 1971 these should
be gradually absorbed by the London Chest Hospital to form one large chest
clinic serving both boroughs. Such centralisation should provide increased
faci1ities for investigation and treatment. During 1970 agreat deal of planning,
preparation and building has taken place to ensure a smooth changeover as the
other clinics are absorbed over a period of a year or so. In addition all the
ordinary work of the Chest Clinic has been maintained, and this has changed
little compared with the last three or four years.
Our Care Committee has again provided us with invaluable support and help for
those of our patients in need. In spite of the Welfare State there are still those
patients who can onlybe helped from voluntary services, and I am grateful to the
work of our Care Committee whose responsibility will be enlarged with the
absorption of the other chest clinics in Tower Hamlets and Hackney."
Dr. R.M. Orpwood, Chest Physician at the Poplar and Stepney Chest Clinics,
reports:
"The pattern of slow change in Respiratory Medicine has continued during
the year 1970. While the numbers of fresh cases of Pulmonary T.B. showed no
marked drop, the increase in other respiratory conditions has become more obvious.
There must still be some passage of time, at present difficult to determine,
before we see the disappearance of T.B. from this area. Unfortunately, other
respiratory diseases, e.g. cancer of the lung, chronic bronchitis, etc., show
every evidence of becoming an increasing problem. A two-pronged attack on both
fronts must, therefore, be continued, with no scaling down of effort.
Non-tuberculous chest disease frequently demands the use of methods of
approach for diagnosis and treatment not easily available except to specialised
centres. Some of this work is not always possible with the limited facilities of
the older type of Chest Clinic set-up. I welcome, therefore, the plan that the
functions of the Chest Clinics at Poplar and Stepney should be, in the near
future, transferred to the London Chest Hospital, where such facilities are
readily available. This will make a considerable contribution to dealing with
the medical and other problems of the patients.
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