London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
This page requires JavaScript
33
satisfactorily among suitable institutions having regard to their needs. Cases in
institutions both under the Council's tuberculosis scheme and in the transferred
poor law general hospitals are reviewed and interchanges are effected so that the
accommodation at the disposal of the Council is used to the best advantage.
The subjoined information concerns patients treated under the Council's antituberculosis
scheme.
The following table indicates the number of applications from adults for residential treatment during each of the last five years:—
| Year | Application for first period of treatment | Application for further treatment | Total Applications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-Service | Civilian Male | Female | Ex-Service | Civilian Male | Female | ||
| 1926 | 128 | 2,262 | 1,864 | 478 | 693 | 582 | 6,007 |
| 1927 | 63 | 2,119 | 1,819 | 417 | 727 | 622 | 5,767 |
| 1928 | 33 | 2,125 | 1,839 | 345 | 760 | 633 | 5,735 |
| 1929 | 34 | 2,245 | 1,910 | 278 | 882 | 656 | 6,005 |
| 1930 | 19 | 2,331 | 1,814 | 204 | 943 | 667 | 5,978 |
Of the 5,978 adult cases recommended during 1930 for residential treatment,
76 were subsequently withdrawn, 4,894 were accepted and 1,008 were not accepted.
The 4,894 cases were disposed of as follows:—(a) 1,241 were passed for admission
to " observation " beds in order to determine "diagnosis" or "suitability for
sanatorium treatment " ; (b) 3,653 were passed for admission direct to sanatoria or
hospitals. Of the foregoing accepted cases, 328 for various reasons failed to enter
institutions.
The 1,008 cases not accepted under the scheme were generally cases of advanced
disease of the type referred to above as having been formerly dealt with by boards
of guardians. Since 1st April, 1930, many of these have been accommodated in the
Council's general hospitals or, if ambulant, in voluntary institutions in the country
under the arrangements for public assistance.
The cases referred to "observation" hospitals were generally (1) patients in
whom the diagnosis of tuberculosis was doubtful; (2) acute cases ; and (3) patients
with well-marked symptoms whose suitability for sanatorium treatment could only
be satisfactorily determined after a period of observation in hospital.
During the year, 1,195 patients were discharged from "observation beds"and their classification was as follows (the corresponding figures for 1929 are also given):—
| Pulmonary. | Number. | Percentage. | Number. | Percentage. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | 292 | 35.39 | 294 | 34.54 |
| Group B 1 | 28 | 3.39 | 42 | 4.94 |
| Group B2 | 366 | 44.37 | 381 | 44.77 |
| Group B3 | 139 | 16.85 | 134 | 15.75 |
| Total pulmonary cases | 825 | 100.00 | 851 | 100.00 |
| Surgical cases | 21 | 8 | ||
| Total diagnosed as tuberculous | 846 | 859 |
For definition of classification see footnote to the first table on page 38.
In the remaining 349 cases the diagnosis of tuberculosis was not confirmed. Of
the 846 cases definitely diagnosed as tuberculous, 579 pulmonary cases were sent to
sanatoria, 58 to institutions for advanced cases, 17 died in the " observation "
hospitals, 8 cases were transferred to surgical institutions, and 184 were discharged
home or arrangements made for them independently of the Council's tuberculosis
scheme.
The total number of admissions to institutions during 1930 was 4,907, compared
with 5,249 in 1929. At the beginning of the year 2,083 patients were under treatment