View report page

26
Patients Admitted to the Hospital for Diagnosis.—The wards of the Hospital are open for
the reception of cases presenting difficulties of diagnosis which can only be overcome by
observation as In-patients. Seven resident and 28 non-resident patients were admitted
for this purpose.
Examinations of Sputum.—The following is a summary
City Residents. Non-Resident. Total.
Positive 8 40 48
Negative 40 176 216
Residential Treatment.—The number of patients for whom residential treatment was
arranged was 53. They are summarised as follows:—
Admitted to Poor Law Other St. Columbus Hosp.
L.C.C. Institutions Institutions. Institutions. Corpn. Expense. Total.
Patients resident in the City 12 0 1 2 15
Patients non-resident 34 0 4 ..... 38
46 0 5 2 53
Persons neither resident nor working in the City are usually transferred immediately to their
own Tuberculosis Officer and subsequent arrangements are made by him. This system has
worked satisfactorily.
Persons Treated and Supervised at the Dispensary.—(A) Patients resident in the City.
All persons suffering from tuberculosis who are resident in the City may be supervised and
treated at the Dispensary. The total number of cases so treated was 83.
The number of cases under supervision on December 31st, 1925, was 73 classified as
follows:—
Arrested 8
Quiescent 28
Active 31
Non-attenders 6
In addition a large number of contacts are kept under observation.
(B) Patients non-resident in the City.
(a) Who work in the City.
On diagnosis these patients are informed that they can be treated and advised at the
Dispensary or transferred to the Tuberculosis Officer of their own Borough. The majority
decide to remain patients at the Dispensary.
(b) Who do not work in the City.
On diagnosis these patients are transferred to the Tuberculosis Officer of their own
Borough, so none are treated here.
Total Attendances— Insured. Non-Insured . Total.
Residents 194 371 565
Non-Residents 654 807 1,461
2,026
In view of the fact that cases in the last stages of the disease are extremely infectious,
especially in crowded houses, the Corporation have made arrangements to pay for the maintenance
of selected City cases at St. Columbia's Hospital, Swiss Cottage. Two such cases
were admitted during 1925.
The Tuberculosis Nurse.—The work of the Tuberculosis Nurse has been continued on
the same lines as former years. 62 homes have been visited and 506 visits made in connection
with after care and following up. In addition to the above, patients, some of whom
were in an advanced stage of the disease, have been nursed in their own homes. Six of these
cases terminated fatally. For nursing purposes 27 visits were paid.
General.—The following information is supplied in accordance with the requirements
of the Ministry of Health. The paragraph numbers correspond with those in Circular 648,
and where a number is omitted the subject matter does not concern City work:—
(i.) The Tuberculosis Dispensary is at St. Bartholomew's Hospital; the Tuberculosis
Officer is Dr. F. H. Young, O.B.E.; one Tuberculosis Nurse is engaged in the work. Treatment
in residential institutions is provided for insured and uninsured persons by the London
County Council.
(iii.) Patients are referred to the Tuberculosis Dispensary from hospitals, school clinics
and other institutions, with all of which there is close co-operation.
The services of the Staff and all the resources of St. Bartholomew's Hospital are available
for diagnosis and treatment. Many patients are referred to departments of the Hospital
for these purposes.
(iv.) The Tuberculosis Officer is in constant consultation and communication with
general practitioners, so that there is close co-operation between them and the Dispensary.
He reminds them when reports are due on insured patients under domiciliary treatment
and provides them with copies of the form with names and addresses inserted.