View report page

24
B (6) ERITH, BEXLEY and CRAY FORD
MASS X-RAY CAMPAIGN
May 23rd to June 30th, 1960.
The idea of a Mass X-Ray Campaign for the Boroughs
of Erith and Bexley and the Urban District of Crayford
arose out of a report entitled "No Time for Complacency,"
issued in May, 1958 by the South East London Mass Radiography
Service and which covered the area of South East
London and North West Kent. The report indicated that,
although great improvements had taken place in recent years
in the treatment of tuberculosis, there was little evidence
that this progress had yet effected a material decrease in the
incidence of new cases of tuberculosis or in the size of the
reservoir of long-standing tuberculosis cases within the community.
The figure relating to the incidence of tuberculosis per
1,000 x-rayed for the three towns appeared to provide "prima
facie" evidence that further action was indicated and the
Councils of Erith, Bexley and Crayford readily agreed to
co-operate with the Mass Radiography Service in planning
a comprehensive survey on the lines of the one carried out
in Glasgow in 1957.
The area under review.
Erith, Bexley and Crayford are three contiguous towns
forming part of Metropolitan Kent. The mid-year populations
(as estimated by the Registrar General) were:—
Erith 45,700
Bexley 90,500
Crayford 30,600
Total 166,800
These figures are for the total population in the area, but
the Mass X-Ray Campaign was only concerned with the
ambulant adult population.
A full account of the Campaign has been published as a
separate report and may be obtained from Dr. J. M. Morgan,
Director, South-East London Mass X-Ray Service. 'New
Cross General Hospital, Avonley Road, London, S.E.14.
The following statistics relating to the Survey are extracted
from the main report. Certain observations on these findings
are made in the Foreword on page 6.