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(c) In the near future it is hoped that arrangements can also be made in
respect of those dependants who obtain entry certificates in their country
of origin for their names and destination addresses to be entered on a
tear-off slip in their passports. This slip will be detached by the immigration
authorities and passed to the medical inspectors so that the port
medical officer can send the address on to the appropriate Medical Officer
of Health in the same way as in the case of holders of Ministry of Labour
vouchers.
It was hoped that these procedures would help to ensure that long-stay immigrants
would register with general practitioners at an early stage of their life in this
country and would not wait until they fell ill. It was also hoped that those for
whom it was appropriate, would have an X-ray at an early stage.
In May the Middlesex Local Medical Committee agreed that health visitors
may refer immigrants for chest X-ray direct to the chest clinics at the time of their
visit, on the grounds of expediency and expedition.
During the year, the names of 185 long-stay immigrants, resident in the London
Borough of Enfield, were notified to the health department. Successful visits were
made to 172 of these. Some of the immigrants listed were unknown at the addresses
they had given and others, despite repeated visits, have not yet been contacted.
A useful register has been compiled and issued by the Immigrants Advisory
Committee of the London Council of Social Service. The register lists interpreters
and social workers with special knowledge of overseas groups in the Greater
London area.
Occupational Therapy
This service, which offers a wide range of handicrafts, is provided by the
hospital authorities for selected patients who are referred by the chest physician for
guidance and training.
Rehabilitation
The Tottenham Rehabilitation and Sheltered Workshop was established in
1948 to make available rehabilitation through training, and subsequent sheltered
employment, to tuberculosis patients who were fit for part-time or full-time employment,
though severely disabled by tuberculous chest disease and who were therefore
deemed to be unfit to take their place in open industry without the likelihood of
relapse.
This scheme has been approved by the Ministry of Labour, under the Disabled
Persons (Employment) Act, 1958, for training selected patients to become journeymen
cabinet makers.
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