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During the year, 84 recommendations for admission to hostels for tuberculous men
were approved and at the end of the year 37 men were in residence at the Islington
hostel, 11 men at Hurlingham Lodge, and 11 at the British Legion Village.
Domiciliary
diversional
therapy
An experimental diversional therapy scheme for home-bound tuberculous patients
was begun in Health Division No. 2 in January, 1953. Part-time occupational therapists
were engaged to cover the chest clinic areas in the division and the Council made grants
for tools and materials to supplement those provided from the voluntary funds of the
local Tuberculosis Care Committee. Patients and chest clinic staff have expressed their
satisfaction with the results of the scheme so far.
Protection of
:hildren
against
tuberculosis
The chest X-ray examinations, on appointment and annually, of certain staff whose
employment brings them into close contact with children, was extended from April,
1953, to all teaching staff and also to non-teaching staff at residential educational
establishments.
During the year arrangements were also initiated for the annual chest X-ray
examination of staff and senior pupils at the Council's occupation centres for mentally
deficient persons. In the last half of the year 65 staff and 151 pupils were examined under
these arrangements and, as a result, one child was admitted to hospital and two referred
to chest clinics for observation.
Arrangements were also made for the routine X-ray examination of new residents
over 15 years of age entering the Council's homeless families' units.
Epidemiological investigations were undertaken among the staff and children at
Council establishments where cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were notified during
the year. The summary (pages 88-9) gives the results of these investigations and
demonstrates the great value of careful follow-up of notified cases and, therefore, of
full and early notification.
Mass
miniature
radiography
I am indebted to the four Metropolitan Regional Hospital Boards and to the Ministry
of Health for the figures (page 90) showing the number of persons examined during
the year by the Board's mass X-ray units operating in London and among these the
number of cases of tuberculosis whose diagnosis was established during 1953. It will be
seen that some diagnoses completed during 1953 related to persons X-rayed in 1952.
Likewise, some persons X-rayed during 1953 will remain under surveillance until a
form diagnosis becomes established in 1954.
Tuberculin
surveys
A scheme for the tuberculin testing and X-ray examination of 5,000 school childrern
in Islington, begun in 1952, continued during the year. The survey, which was
paralleled by a mass X-ray survey of adults in the borough, has not yet been completed
The result will be include in a subsequent report.