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

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London County Council 1932

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

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29
23 beds (11 men and 12 women) at Grove Park hospital are also reserved for
"advanced" surgical cases.
Beds for "observation" cases, both for diagnosis and for use in determining
the disposal of patients to appropriate institutions, are provided at Brompton hospital,
and, to a limited extent, at the City of London Chest hospital, Victoria park. Voluntary
institutions are used to the extent necessary (a) to supplement the accommodation
in the Council's own institutions (in which from time to time beds have to be
withdrawn from use on account of cleaning and in emergencies), (b) to provide for
special types of case such as those sent to village settlements, where there is industrial
training, and to Burrow Hill colony, where there are educational facilities, together
with training for youths in gardening and clerical work, and (c) for persons requiring
institutions where there is a special religious atmosphere or special climatic or other
advantages. In addition, ambulant chronic advanced cases which do not require
active treatment for the disease but which, for various reasons, need to be under
medical supervision, are sent to voluntary institutions which cater specially for this
type of patient, and where suitable accommodation is available at a low rate of
payment.
As regards children, High Wood hospital is used both for the treatment of
pulmonary and gland cases and for "diagnostic observation" purposes. Princess
Mary's hospital, Margate, and Queen Mary's hospital, Carshalton, provide for surgical
cases, and Millfield convalescent home, Rustington, is used for convalescents from
all these institutions.
Voluntary fully equipped surgical institutions for children are used only to a
very limited extent except Heatherwood hospital, Ascot, in which the Council is
under obligation, until it takes over the hospital in about 1937, to accept and maintain
the use of 80 beds so soon as the authorities of the hospital are able to render that
number of beds available for the sole use of the Council. Generally speaking, beds
in voluntary institutions are taken only for convalescent children who have usually
received treatment in fully equipped hospitals or sanatoria. This convalescence
can be provided more suitably and more economically in convalescent homes than
by retaining the children for completion of treatment in the Council's hospitals. The
" homes " principally used are situated on the sea coast.

The following table indicates the number of applications from adults for residential treatment under the tuberculosis scheme during each of the last five years:—

YearApplication for first period of treatmentApplication for further treatmentTotal applications
Ex-serviceCivilian maleFemaleEx-serviceCivilian maleFemale
1928332,1251,8393457606335,735
1929342,2451,9102788826566,005
1930192,3311,8142049436675,978
1931262,2761,8342301,0217876,174
1932182,1911,8111591,1627796,120

Of the 6,120 adult cases recommended during 1932 for residential treatment
under the tuberculosis scheme, 67 were subsequently withdrawn, 5,419 were accepted
and 634 were not accepted. The 5,419 cases were disposed of as follows:—(a)
1,634 were passed for admission to "observation" beds in order to determine
"diagnosis" or "suitability for sanatorium treatment"; (b) 3,785 were passed
for admission direct to sanatoria or hospitals. Of the foregoing accepted cases, 235
for various reasons failed to enter institutions.