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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
117
Tuberculosis Dispensary.
During the year the Public Health Committee on several
-occasions had under consideration the question of establishing
a Tuberculosis Dispensary on the lines suggested in my Report
for 1911.
In consequence, however, of the Local Government Board's
Order, of the 26th July, with reference to the domiciliary treatment
of Tuberculosis the Committee on the 19th September had the
matter again under consideration and submitted a report to the
Council to the following effect:—
" We have again had under consideration the subject of the
•establishment of a Tuberculosis Dispensary in the Borough, and
refer to our report of the 8th November last, presented to the
Council on the 15th November. Councillor Anderson, M.A.,
the Council's representative on the Local Insurance Committee,
has been appointed Chairman of the Committee, and we have
had the advantage of hearing from him the proposals which are
under consideration of that body with regard to Tuberculosis
patients recommended for treatment under the National Insurance
Act. Under that Act it is the duty of Insurance Committees,
not to themselves establish dispensaries or sanatoria, but to make
arrangements for the reception of insured persons requiring treatment
with Authorities who have established such institutions.
Thus in respect of insured patients sent for treatment to any
Municipal Dispensary, payments at a rate to be agreed upon will
be payable by the Insurance Committee responsible for such
patients. From this source some revenue will be received. There
is, of course, no doubt that if the Borough Council establish a
dispensary, it will be available for a considerable number of
individuals other than insured persons.
"We anticipate that the Council will receive a contribution
out of the sum granted by the Finance Act, 1911, to be distributed
by the Local Government Board towards the cost of establishing
the institution. Having carefully considered the question, we
are of opinion that it would be advisable for this Council to retain
in its own hands the establishment and maintenance of a dispensary
for its own administrative area, and we unanimously endorse
our report of the 8th November last.