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45
Prevention of Tuberculosis. — Early in the year the Committee of the
Tuberculosis Dispensary, 111, Marylebone Road, which for a number of years had
formed a large part of the Council's scheme for combating tuberculosis, finding it
impossible to obtain the funds necessary for continuing operations on a voluntary
basis, approached the Council and offered to hand over the dispensary as a going
concern. Of financial consideration there was practically none, the only request
made being that the Council should endeavour to take over the officers attached to
the institution. As these officers were highly trained and experienced and had in fact
been part of the Council's scheme for a number of years and in everything but name
officers of the Council, no hesitation was shown in accepting the suggestion of the
Dispensary Committee when the Dispensary was formally taken over on 1st April,
1921.
The opportunity presented by the transfer was taken to reorganize the whole
of the Dispensary part of the scheme and to bring it into accordance with the
requirements of the Ministry of Health and London County Council, both of
which bodies had been for some time pressing for reorganization. In the case of
St. Marylebone, this necessitated the termination of agreements with the Middlesex
Hospital and Margaret Street Hospital. This was done with regret, having regard
to the fact that both had gone to considerable trouble in order to make their
arrangements fit into the Council's scheme. The co-operation had been carried on
in the most friendly manner, with great smoothness and success. Both bodies
offered every assistance in connection with the reorganization and in a very short
time the Council was able to submit a scheme to the Ministry and London County
Council which was purely municipal and entirely self-contained. In order to
ensure proper attention to the preventive aspect of the work at the Dispensary,
Dr. J. Donaldson Saner, who had been for some years tuberculosis officer under the
Voluntary Committee of the Dispensary, was appointed Assistant Medical Officer
of Health for Tuberculosis Purposes as well as Tuberculosis Officer and made an
officer of the Council. Sister Bartleet, who also had been at the Dispensary, was
placed upon the Council's staff in the Public Health Department, as was also Miss
M. T. Challis, who had been Clerk - Dispenser for some time. Miss Baker,
who had been on the Council's staff for a number of years, acting as Tuberculosis
Visitor, remained in that position at the reorganization and with the others already
named completed the staff whose duties were exclusively dealing with this disease.
So far as the working of the Dispensary was concerned, comparatively little change
was necessary in order tQ make it serve the needs of the whole borough instead of
part only as in the past. Quite readily the new scheme was made to cover the
work to be done and during the period between 1st April and the end of the year
worked remarkably smoothly.
Particulars with regard to patients dealt with during the year are shown in a
table at page 47. It may be mentioned, however, that in addition to work done at
the Dispensaries, 1,263 visits were paid by Miss Baker to the homes of patients
and to 72 suspects. In addition the attendances of the inspector at the consultations
numbered 182, at Middlesex Hospital 92, Margaret Street Hospital 58, and at the
Anti-Tuberculosis Dispensary 32.
The Tuberculosis Care Committee continued to meet fortnightly throughout
the year, Dr. Saner, Miss Baker and Sister Bartleet attending and assisting in every
way possible.
The Open Air School in Regent's Park, which was established in 1911, the
Dispensary Committee agreed to continue to run after the taking over of the
remainder of their work by the Borough Council. The fact that they were willing
to do so was greatly appreciated by the Council, who consider the work most
valuable. The number of children on the roll was 27—14 boys and 13 girls—and
the attendances numbered 7,922. Dr. Saner, who has been Medical Officer of the
School since he took office at the Dispensary, continues to act in this capacity.