View report page

PERSONAL HEALTH
Telephone 01-928 0333, extension 321, or write to the Chief Ambulance
Officer, London Ambulance Service Headquarters, 220, Waterloo Road, S.E.1.
The foregoing information was provided by Dr. A.B. Stewart, Medical
Adviser to the Greater London Council, and by Mr. W.E. Cooke, Chief
Ambulance Officer, to both of whom I record my thanks.
Section 12,
Health Services and
Public Health
Act 1968
Prophylaxis, Care and After-Care
A local health authority may make arrangements for the purposes of the
prevention of illness, for the care of persons suffering from illness, and for
the after-care of such persons.
Tuberculosis
Arrangements for the provision of this service are shared between the Council
and the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board and are based at
the Chest Clinic, situated at the North Middlesex Hospital. Hospital beds are
situated at North Middlesex Hospital and Highlands Hospital. Dr. Vernon
Davies (who was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians
during the year), Dr. R.H. Elphinstone and Dr. E.N. O'Brien continued to be
responsible for the consultant work.
I am grateful to Dr. Vernon Davies for supplying me with the detailed
information on which this part of the report is based.
The Chest Physician, who supervises the work of the tuberculosis health
visitors employed by the Council, is responsible not only for all matters
concerning diagnosis and treatment but also for the local health authority
care and after-care services. The chest clinic service provides facilities for the
investigation and treatment of all forms of chest disease.
During the year 4,357 persons attended the Chest Clinic for the first time
and were investigated for various chest conditions; and the total number of
attendances by all cases was 12,423. Tabulated statistics relating to the work
of the Chest Clinic are to be found at the end of this section of the report.
Twenty-nine infectious patients were treated at the Chest Clinic; of these 22
were among the newly diagnosed cases. Forty-three patients were admitted to
the Clinic's tuberculosis wards for in-patient treatment.
Of the 174 new tuberculosis cases provisionally diagnosed during the year,
64 respiratory and twelve non-respiratory cases were formally notified, the
remainder being under observation. In addition, fifteen cases were transferred
from other areas to the care of the Chest Clinic.
Seventeen of the 73 new notified respiratory cases (one adult and sixteen
children) were found among the 456 new contacts examined during the year,
which underlines the importance of this aspect of the work of the Chest
Clinic. Four families accounted for nine of the children.
Home Visiting
Two health visitors continued to work from the Chest Clinic, visiting
tuberculous and non-tuberculous patients at home; 1,296 visits were paid to
331 tuberculous households.
Medical Arrangements
for Long Stay
Immigrants
Arrangements to cover the special problems which may arise in connection
with the health and medical treatment of long stay immigrants to this
country were set out in Ministry of Health Circular CMO 1/65. The procedure
36