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THE CHEST CLINIC
Dr. H J Trenchard, Physician in-Charge of the Edgware Chest Clinic has provided
me with the following report on the work of the Clinic during the year:-
"As mentioned in reports in former years Edgware Chest Clinic serves as a
centre from which a socio-medical team serves an area including the Borough of Hendon
and parts of the Boroughs of Harrow and Wembley, Besides medical clinical work,
preventive and welfare responsibilities are also undertaken by the physicians and by
the staff appointed to assist them for these purposes by the Middlesex County Council
Close liaison is maintained with the Area Medical Officer of the County Council and
with the Medical Officers of Health of the three Boroughs A number of tuberculin
surveys have been carried out at schools in the area. These have shown on the whole
a low level of tuberculinization of the pupils which it is gratifying to record
The schemes recently started under the auspices of the County Council Health
Department for B.C.G vaccination of school children have opened another field for
co-operation between the clinic and the conventional preventive services Full
advantage is being taken of the consequent tuberculin testing as an additional case
finding method by X-ray of positive reactors and their domiciliary contacts
The main consultative functions of the chest clinic have continued as in earlier
years, and the volume of work has been maintained, although there is less time now
devoted to refill treatments of outpatients as their numbers continue to decline
Patients are referred for opinion mainly from the general medical practitioners of
the area; and a considerable proportion come initially for chest X-ray by the Odelca
camera unit which has now been in use for six years. A proportion of cases are
referred from the various departments of Edgware General Hospital, and in particular
a chest X-ray service is provided for ante-natal and diabetic patients and for members
of the hospital and group-staff.
An appointments system for out- patients is still in force and is fairly successful.
One of the difficulties with which it has to contend is a present day tendency
of patients to fail to keepor to attend at times other than that of their appointment.
In the early part of the year during the cold weather, the temperature in the clinic
was such as to be a severe hardship on patients undressing for examination by the
doctors An additional pump was installed in the autumn to improve the heat supply
to the radiators. This may prove successful but has not yet had an opportunity to
be tested by a bout of severe cold weather.
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