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and the living room, and current air temperature. A social questionnaire was
also completed by the home nurse.
Each patient's general practitioner was advised of the survey and of any
hypothermia revealed.
Of the 60 patients selected in Barking, two were admitted to hospital and
two died before completing the survey period, but in none of these instances
was illness attributed to hypothermia. It has not been possible to recover the
survey form appertaining to one of the cases who died, so this case has been
ignored for statistical purposes.
A total of 1,633 body temperatures were recorded, 61 of which were 95°F.
or below and 85-98.1 °F. or over. The 61 low temperatures related to 21
patients, six of whom showed a low temperature on one occasion only. Temperatures
of 98-1 F. or over related to 22 patients.
No excessively low room temperatures were recorded for any continuous
period, and the weather throughout the survey was comparatively mild.
The survey has provided valuable experience in the problems to be met in
mounting a full-scale enquiry and in respect of the type of information likely
to prove most useful. The number of cases chosen, though small, involved a
large number of observations and a mass of statistics for further study.
It is too early to comment on the actual results, as their numbers were
not very great, and the mildness of the winter also made it difficult to draw
conclusions, but the overall impression would seem to support the observation
that environment has an effect on body temperature, and that hypothermia as
such may exist without any obvious ill effect, unless there exists some
definite cause.
The difference between the two groups under survey may provide some
interesting comparisons in that while one group is selected from patients
receiving home nursing services, the other group is to some extent selfselected.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT. 1948
Section 47
During the year, it was not found necessary to remove any person from
their home as being unable to care for themselves and not receiving adequate
care and attention from others. This may be due in some measure to improved
co-ordination in the care of the elderly resulting from the appointment of the
Geriatric Liaison Officer.
TUBERCULOSIS
Arising out of the opening of the new Barking Hospital in 1967 the Chest
Clinic Services based on the hospital were reorganised to concentrate the home
visiting and follow-up of chest cases at the Chest Clinic at Five Elms,
Dagenham, which now caters for the whole of the Borough.
We were again indebted to Dr. J. T. Paterson and his staff for their help
and co-operation during the year.
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