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26
The hostels undertaking work in connection with the scheme for the year 1932,
were as follows:—
20-22, Highbury-quadrant, N. (Royal Free Hostels Committee); 148, Lambethroad,
S.E. (St. Thomas's hospital); 80, Stockwell-park-road, S.W. (Southwark
Diocesan Association for Preventive and Rescue Work); 3.5, Parkhurst-road, N.
(West London Mission); 62, Regent's-park-road, N.W. (Royal Free Hostels Committee)
; Salvation Army Hostels, 122-124 and 126-128, Lower Clapton-road, E.
Rescue
homes.
The desirability 01 maintaining treatment and observation 0f girls ana women
for whom residence in hostels has been provided during the acute stages of venereal
disease, engaged the attention of the Public Health Committee of the Council during
the year 1928. As a result, arrangements were made with the authorities of certain
rescue homes providing vocational training in domestic and other work, to receive up
to eleven young women and girls who, although requiring continued treatment and
observation, had been certified by the medical officer of a clinic as fit to reside in an
institution without danger to other residents. These arrangements were completed
in the autumn of 1928, but have not been utilised to the extent anticipated despite
several circulars to V.D. clinics and hostels. During the year 1932 only three girls
availed themselves of these facilities. The total number of days in residence was 574.
The
London
County
Council
(Whitechapel)
clinic.
On 1st July, 1930, the venereal Diseases clinic at the London hospital, one
of the institutions in the London and Home Counties Scheme, was taken over by
the Council as an all-day clinic, and is now known as the London County Council
(Whitechapel) clinic. It remains open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and provision for
intermediate treatment is available daily, Sundays and Bank Holidays included,
throughout tho year. The premises are rented from the London hospital, but the
staff is appointed and the clinic maintained entirely by the Council.
Under the directorship of Dr. T. Anwyl Davies, assisted by a loyal and efficient
stafi, the clinic has been an unqualified success. During the first six months the clinic
was in use, 1,527 new patients and 76,183 attendances were registered, whilst for the
year 1931, the number of new patients was 3,545 and the attendances totalled 215,445.
The year 1932 showed a further increase, the new patients numbering 4,013 and attendances
228,433. Of the new patients during 1932, 68 per cent, of the male and 46
per cent, of the female venereal cases were infections of less than one year's duration.
The number of pathological examinations made at the clinic for the year 1932
was 65,618, an increase of 13,901 on the previous year's total. Of the 65,618 examinations,
9,434 were made for private practitioners, for whose convenience arrangements
are in force for results of certain tests to be communicated by telephone within three
hours of the delivery of specimens.
Facilities for the study of venereal diseases are available for medical students
and post-graduates, demonstrations being held weekly.
Residential Treatment of Tuberculosis.
The Council's tuberculosis scheme, adopted in May, 1914, commenced to operate
in the following June. The scheme provided that responsibility for the treatment
of persons insured under the National Health Insurance Act, 1911, should be the
function of the London Insurance Committee. Residential treatment by the Council
was limited to non-insured adults and children other than those appropriate for
reference to the poor-law guardians. By the end of the year 1914 the Council had in
use 200 beds for adults (100 in voluntary institutions, and 100 in institutions provided
by the late Metropolitan Asylums Board) and 381 beds for children (231 in voluntary
institutions, and 150 in Metropolitan Asylums Board institutions). Owing to war
conditions, however, the Council was unable then to develop its scheme fully and the
accommodation was not equal to the demands, with the result that there was a long
waiting period extending frequently to three months, especially in the case of surgical
tuberculosis in children. Some relief so far as children were concerned was secured
in 1917 by an arrangement with the Invalid Children's Aid Association, who undertook
the provision of convalescent treatment for suitable cases with the assistance
of a grant from the Council, thus releasing the Council's beds for more serious cases.
In this way an average of about 260 children a year were dealt with, until in 1926 the