View report page

52
NOTIFICATION OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS.
Voluntary Notifications.—The Scheme for the Voluntary Notification of
Consumption was put into operation at the beginning of 1906, the fees paid
being the same as for the Compulsiorily Notifiable Diseases.
Poor Law Notifications.—By an Order dated the 18th December, 1908, the
Local Government Board, in pursuance of Section 130 of the Public Health
Act, 1875, as amended and extended by the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, and the Public Health Act, 1896, provided for the notification to medical
-officers of health of sanitary authorities of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis
{phthisis or consumption) occurring amongst the inmates of Poor Law
Institutions, or amongst persons under the care of district (Poor Law) medical
officers. This Order came into operation on the 1st January, 1909.
Under the Public Health (Tuberculosis) Regulations or 1908, it is required
that any person who is diagnosed as suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis and
who is now in receipt of, or compelled for various reasons to seek, any form of
Poor Law medical relief, has to be notified to the medical officer of health of
the district within 48 hours. The notifications have to be made by medical
officers of Poor Law Institutions, district medical officers, superintending
officers of Poor Law Institutions, and, as to changes of address, by relieving
officers. Nothing in the regulations authorises the medical officer of health,
directly or indirectly, to put in force, with respect to any poor person in relation
to whom a notification has been received, any enactment which renders the poor
person, or a person in charge of the poor person, liable to a penalty or subjects
him " to any restriction, prohibition, or disability affecting himself or his
employment, occuption, means of livelihood, or residence, on the ground of
his suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis." Another section of the article
which contains this provision confers upon a local authority (subject, of course,
to the foregoing proviso) power to take all such measures or to do all such
things as are authorised in any case of infectious disease by any enactment
relating to the public health having reference to the destruction and disinfection
of infected articles or the cleansing or disinfecting of premises. Certain other
powers, as affording assistance (in the form of appliance, apparatus, or utensil)
to persons suffering from this disease, are also conferred.
Each notification received is treated as confidential, and nothing is done to
prejudice the patient's occuption or employment. Advice papers are sent in
all cases notified, and inquiries are made by the Woman Inspector, and
disinfection carried out when requested.
Public Hospital and Dispensary Notifications.— The Regulations of 1908 have
now been supplemented by the Public Health (Tuberculosis in Hospitals)
Regulations, 1911.
The former provided for the notification of pulmonary tuberculosis occurring
amongst the inmates of Poor Law Institutions or amongst persons under the
care of District Medical Officers. The latter provide for the notification of
cases of pulmonary tuberculosis occurring amongst the in-patients or out-patients
at hospitals, or other similar institutions for the treatment of the sick, which
are supported wholly or partially otherwise than by the contributions of the
patients (or of their relatives or guardians) and otherwise than from rates and
taxes.