London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1919
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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out without sufficient regard to home conditions (in the case of Margaret Street Hospital in particular
dispensary patients were treated among and on exactly the same lines as ordinary out.patients). It
is desirable, in these circumstances, that the arrangements should be revised and that the borough should
be served by one dispensary only. With the exception of St. Marylebone, the present distribution of
dispensaries seems to be satisfactory except that branch dispensaries are required in Poplar and probably
in the Rotherhithe district of Bermondsey.
Finance.
The following table shows for a number of dispensaries
| Estimate. 1915. | Actual cost. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916. | 1917. | 1918. | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Battersea | 1,150 | 1,117 | 1,207 | 1,286 |
| Bermondsey | 1,300 | 1,159 | 1,136 | 1,340 |
| Camberwell | 1,600 | — | — | — |
| Deptford | 1,150 | — | — | — |
| Fulham | 1,500 | — | 1,646 | 2,069 |
| Greenwich | 1,150 | — | 1,338 | — |
| Hampstead | 650 | — | — | — |
| North Kensington | 1,150 | — | 1,224 | — |
| Lambeth Central | 1,150 | — | 1,166 | 1,548 |
| Lewisham | 1,100 | — | 804 | — |
| Paddington | 1,150 | 1,483 | 1,403 | — |
| St. Marylebone | 1,000 | — | 1,087 | 1,167 |
| Southwark | 1,250 | — | 1,355 | 1,616 |
| Stepney Green | 3,000 | 1,533 | 1,590 | 1,790 |
| St. George's.in.the.East | 1,178 | 1,152 | 1,410 | |
| Whitechapel | 1,289 | 1,460 | 1,482 | |
| Westminster | 1,150 | — | 990 | 1,477 |
| Woolwich | 1,150 | — | 1,479 | 1,774 |
| Wandsworth | 1,300 | — | 1,977 | 2,437 |
In some cases the expenditure during the war was less than estimated (Bermondsey), owing to
the impossibility of providing a second medical officer; in other cases the cost exceeded the estimate,
owing to the payment of allowances to the tuberculosis officer while on active service, and, in addition,
to the salary of a temporary tuberculosis officer. In the case of Wandsworth, the high cost is mainly
due to the heavy drug bill (£654 in 1917.18 and £928 in 1918.19).
There is no doubt that the costs of dispensaries have increased more in the year 1919 than during
any previous year. This is mainly due to the general increase in salaries, and also in some cases to the
appointment of additional officers. In some cases increases in salaries have been deferred until the
present agreements expire in March, 1920. At the present time it is probably impossible to prepare
an estimate of cost which will be reliable for several years to come. Moreover, before any estimates
are prepared, it is desirable that the Council should decide upon any alterations it may require in the
present service. Under the circumstances, I have not attempted to do more, at tliis stage, than to form
a general estimate of the present cost of a dispensary service carried out on the lines proposed in 1915.
On this basis a service which in 1915 would have cost £1,150 would probably cost about £1,750 in
1920.21. To illustrate this the estimate of the expenditure of a Central Fund Dispensary prepared in
1915 may be compared with an estimate for the same dispensary prepared for 1920.21 :—
Estimate. Actual cost. Estimate.
1915. 1916. 1920.21.
£ £ £
Tuberculosis officer 500 650*
Nurse 100 150
Nurse 100 150
Secretary 90 150
Dispenser 50 100
Caretaker 52 104
892 873 1,304
Rent 45 45 45
Rates, taxes, insurances, etc.20 9 20
Lighting and heating 20 19 35
Stationery, postages, printing, etc. 40 35 40
Drugs, etc 100 90 200
Renewals and repairs 20 3 40
Telephone, sundries 20 42 50
265 243 430
Total £1,157 £1,117 £1,734