London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1919

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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26
Estimated requirements for Uninsured population.—The conditions for the provision of beds for
uninsured persons are hardly comparable with those which obtain in the case of the insured, for the
following, among other reasons :—
(1) Considerable provision for the uninsured portion of the population is made, apart from
Council beds, in many other ways—e.g.,
(a) Poor Law Infirmaries.
(b) Metropolitan Asylums Board.
(c) General and special voluntary hospitals.
(d) Certain voluntary associations, of which the Invalid Children's Aid Association is the
most prominent.
(2) The age and sex distribution of the uninsured population is essentially different. It consists
very largely of women and children.
(3) Socially it contains the two extremes—viz., the well.to.do and the destitute.
Calculations, therefore, for institutional accommodation are not only not comparable with those
already given for the insured persons, but are much more difficult owing to the complex and heterogeneous
factors concerned. Furthermore they may have to be entirely altered in the near future as a result
of Government legislation or a change in the Council's policy and the gradually increasing tendency
of voluntary hospitals and associations to " cut" their responsibilities for the care and treatment of
tuberculous patients. Furthermore, one must not lose sight of the possible effects which may result
from (a) the extension of the open.air schools, (6) the introduction of a better system of selection of cases
for institutional treatment, and (c) the increased demand referred to already in the case of insured
persons that may arise from the knowledge that additional and better accommodation is available.
Under the Council's scheme the first party of children was admitted to Nayland Sanatorium on
the 15th June, 1914, and women were admitted to Maltings Farm Sanatorium from the 15th July,
1914. The Metropolitan Asylums Board institutions came into use on the 11th December, 1914, when
women were sent to Winchmore Hill Sanatorium and children to Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton.

The following table shows the growth in the number of beds available and cases treated on the same date in December of each year.

Year.Beds.Cases treated.
Adults.Children.Adults.Children.
1914339047121
1915126241322374
1916133320492551
*1917162375594573
1918133376667738
19191816647271,022

♦During this year the Council provided specially for the treatment of ex.soldiers and sailors by request of the
Local Government Board. Later, this work was transferred to the London Insurance Committee.

CASES DEALT WITH DURING 1919 (UNINSURED).

Adults.Children. (Under 16.)Total.
I. Number of applications for institutional treatment8931,1832,076
II. Number of cases sent away for—
(a) Institutional treatment to Council beds7271,0221,749
(6) Referred to I.C.A.A. under Council agreement.171171
III. Number on waiting list at end of 1919455196
IV. Number of cases undergoing institutional treatment 5.7.19177453630
V. Number of cases undergoing institutional treatment 13.12.19179547726

Results of institutional treatment of insured persons.—In a memorandum to the Insurance Committee
for the County of London, Dr. Bardswell has made an attempt to ascertain the after.histories
of the patients who were recommended for sanatorium benefit during the year 1914. Up to December 31st,
1918, the condition on that date of 2,588, out of 3,224, patients recommended for sanatorium benefit
in 1914, was as follows :—

T able I.

Total.Untraced.Known to be alive December, 1918.Known to be dead December, 1918.
3,2246367671,821
Eliminating the untraced—
2,588—767 (29.6 per cent.)1,821 (70.4 per cent.)
The ascertained mortality within four years from date of recommendation was, therefore, equal tc 70.46 per cent.
Patients who received institutional treatment.—Of the 2,588 cases above referred to 1,515 received institutional treatment.
The results were as follows:
No. of cases.Alive.Dead.
1,515599 (39.5 per cent.).916 (60.5 per cent.).