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There was again some improvement in the defaulter rate, except for male
patients who completed treatment for gonorrhoea but ceased to attend before final
tests for cure. The table below gives the number of patients completing treatment
and of defaulters as shown by analysis of the returns from the clinics for 1950
Syphilis
Gonorrhoea
Male
Female
Male
Female
Number of patients discharged after completion of treatment
and final tests of cure 1016 763 2730 623
Number of patients who ceased to attend after completion
of treatment but before final tests of cure 769 366 2319 371
Number of patients who ceased to attend before completion
of treatment 327 204 290 70
Number of patients who died from the disease while still
undergoing treatment 12 3 — —
Under section 28 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, the Council's male
and female welfare officers have continued to undertake the tracing of contacts of
patients, details of whom have been provided by hospitals, by medical services of
the British, Dominion and United States Armed Forces, and by local health
authorities. The welfare officers have also been available to assist clinics in case of
difficulty in following-up patients who have defaulted.
At the request of the Prison Commissioners the part-time services of a welfare
officer have been made available for attendance at clinics at Holloway Prison and for
following-up contacts and prisoners on discharge. The initial trial period has shown
that there is great scope for this work and permanent arrangements on a larger scale
are under consideration.
Twenty-one notifications were received from the Service authorities of demobilised
men who were under treatment or surveillance for V.D. and these men were interviewed
with a view to persuading them to continue attendance at civilian clinics.
INCIDENCE OF V.D. IN LONDON — EARLY SYPHILIS — CIVILIANS
MP OF CASES OF EARLY SYPHILIS
(HALF YEA PL Y FIGURES )