View report page

41
Visits were paid to the homes of notified cases by the women inspectors, who, in
addition to giving instruction with regard to the preventive measures to be adopted
by the patient and the persons associated with him, endeavoured to arrange for the
examination of contacts at the institutions co-operating with the Council in this work,
viz., the Middlesex Hospital, the Dispensary in Allsop Place and the Margaret Street
Dispensary.
Very great assistance was given by the staff and the voluntary workers of the
Dispensary for the Prevention of Consumption, Allsop Place, in connection with
home visitation and educational work. A branch of prevention in which great interest
is taken by the Committee of this Institution is that in relation to children, and the
open air school which was instituted some years ago is largely attended by children
who are suffering or are suspected to be suffering from consumption.
In addition to carrying out such works as are referred to above, the Council,
during 1914, continued their various activities in relation to housing and what may be
called works of sanitation generally. In a large number of cases disinfection was
carried out and any defects detected on examination were remedied in the usual way.
Schemes of Prevention.—Early in 1914 the scheme of the Council, so far as
regards the Dispensary portion—the only part with which the Council is directly
concerned—was completed. Draft agreements had been prepared and submitted to
and approved by the various bodies willing or desirous of taking part in the scheme,
and there remained only to obtain the sanction of the London County Council, the
Local Government Board and the London Insurance Committee.
The necessity of consulting these bodies arose because the first two, between
them, were responsible for the repayment of 75 per cent. of the total cost of the
scheme, so far as regards uninsured persons; the Insurance Committee's duty was to
make a contribution in respect of the insured.
The desire of the Council from the very beginning was, roughly, to make
arrangements for the uninsured persons, taking advantage of the facilities offered by
the Middlesex Hospital, the Margaret Street Dispensary and the Allsop Place
Dispensary, and linking up their own work with these institutions through certain
members of the Public Health staff. Having made the arrangements for the
uninsured, the Council proposed, and all the institutions agreed, to place these
arrangements at the disposal of the Insurance Committee for the insured persons, and
leave that body to settle with the Hospital and Dispensary Committees as to terms.
The scheme, as proposed by the Council, was approved by the London County
Council in a comparatively short time.
The Local Government Board approved, so far a's the Middlesex Hospital and
the Margaret Street Dispensary were concerned, subject to satisfactory arrangements
being made with the Insurance Committee as regards the Dispensary in
Allsop Place.