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61
Measles.
Measles was not epidemic during 1933. Sporadic cases occurred,
but in only two cases were the home conditions such that the
children could not be treated at home.
These two cases were admitted to the Isolation Hospital during
the months of May and June and both were discharged home after
three weeks' stay in hospital.
Permanent Isolation Hospital.
In September, 1930, the Minister of Health, in Memorandum
L.G.A. 40, instructed County Councils (other than London) to make
a survey of the hospital accommodation available in the County
for the treatment of infectious diseases (including smallpox) and
to prepare a scheme for the provision of adequate hospital accommodation
within the County. The Minister stated that experience
had shown that a large hospital serving a wide area formed a more
satisfactory administrative unit than a number of smaller hospitals
serving smaller areas ; and that the removal of patients to a hospital
situated at some distance from their homes presented little difficulty
with modern means of transport. It was suggested that County
Councils should therefore consider whether it would be desirable
to close any smaller hospitals found to be unsatisfactory and to
enlarge those hospitals which were satisfactory in all respects and
could be extended without inconvenience so as to serve a wider
area. On completion of the survey, the County Council was
directed to submit to the Minister a scheme for the provision of
adequate hospital accommodation for infectious disease within the
County.
In July, 1932, the Essex County Council forwarded Part I of
draft scheme which had been prepared pursuant to Section 63 of
the Local Government Act, 1929, under which the County Councils
are under an obligation to make a survey of the hospital accommodation
for the treatment of infectious diseases provided by the
Council and by Local Authorities within the County and to prepare
and submit to the Ministry of Health a scheme for the provision
of adequate hospital accommodation for the treatment of infectious
diseases within the County and requesting to be furnished with the
observations of the Council upon such draft Scheme.