View report page

Vaccination against Tuberculosis
The Council's scheme provides for the vaccination with B.C.G. (Bacillus
Calmette Guerin) of individuals who are contacts of tuberculosis, long term immigrants,
school children and students attending establishments for further education.
The number of persons vaccinated during the year was 2,690. Vaccination of
contacts is carried out at the chest clinics and vaccination of others is carried out
by staff of this department. A further report on B.C.G. vaccination appears in the
School Health section, page 88.
Loan of Nursing Equipment
The Middlesex Branch of the British Red Cross Society operates a loan of
nursing equipment scheme on behalf of the Council. The Society collects a small
hire charge from patients to help offset the cost of replacement of equipment as
required. If a patient is unable to meet the hire charge, it is paid by the Council.
The Council also provides the necessary transport of articles.
During the year, a total of 3,341 items of nursing equipment were loaned to
patients, including 242 wheel-chairs and 12 hospital beds. One large item, a special
adjustable bed, was purchased and provided by the Council for a severely paralysed
patient.
Loan of Bed Linen
To supplement the laundry service for incontinent persons, bed linen is loaned
to those who might otherwise be unable to take advantage of the laundry facilities.
During the year eight single bed sheets and one double sheet were loaned. The
laundry service for the incontinent is described on page 48.
Incontinence Pads
The Council makes free provision of incontinence pads to suitable cases at the
request of general practitioners. Two hundred and eighty-four patients were supplied
with these during the year. Disposal of soiled pads is largely by means of the
ordinary household refuse disposal service. Where refuse is incinerated no problems
have arisen, but where sorting of rubbish for salvage is practised there have been
occasional complaints from the sorters. No difficulties have been experienced with
the pads where controlled tipping takes place.
In the newly built tall blocks of Council flats facilities for disposal by incineration
of pads are provided.
Problem Families
It is difficult to define just what is meant by a problem family.
One definition used is simply a family with a problem for which they need
outside assistance, but the more commonly accepted picture is one of a family with
a poor standard of hygiene, and who are either struggling vainly against or apathetically
accepting overwhelming difficulties.
30