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THE EDGWARE CHEST CLINIC
I am indebted to Dr. H.J. Trenchard, Physician-in-Charge of the Edgware Chest
Clinic, from whose Annual Report I have extracted the following information:-
The pattern of staffing of Edgware Chest Clinic by officers of the hospital
authority and officers of the Middlesex County Council has been described in earlier
reports, and has in 1961 remained the same as in former years. The service is integrated
with in-patient facilities for chest patients at Edgware General, Colindale and
West Hendon hospitals, and the thoracic units at Clare Hall, Harefield and St. Charles
Hospitals. Patients requiring radiotherapy are referred to the Middlesex and Mount
Vernon Hospitals.
TUBERCULOSIS
Tuberculosis is no longer a problem as the outlook with treatment is now good.
This is the result of the use of modern chemo-therapeutic and antibiotic drugs; but
nevertheless treatment is still a prolonged matter taking years to complete. The
number of new cases is about one half of that ten years ago, but still there is an
average of nearly two newly discovered cases per week. Details are given in the Tables.
CANCER OF THE LUNG
The diagnosis of lung cancer is unfortunately a major activity of the chest clinic.
As so many cases are related to cigarette smoking (usually heavy smoking), it is a
condition which could be prevented.
CHRONIC BRONCHITIS
The scheme for sending bronchitis patients to hospitals outside London during the
"smog" season- December to February- has again been used. Fortunately the recent
winters have been relatively mild and there has been less fog and smog than in some
former years.
HYPNOTHERAPY
A regular clinic is held when selected patients are seen by appointment. Results
are encouraging, and although the long term results for any form of treatment of asthma
are difficult to assess, to date, patients undergoing treatment continue to do well.
RESEARCH AND TEACHING
Co-operation with the Medical Research Council & British Tuberculosis Association
on research into chronic bronchitis has continued and postgraduate instruction has been
given to a number of doctors from overseas.
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