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36
The deaths per 1,000 population from all forms of Tuberculosis in the eight
wards of the Borough during 1928, are given in the table on page 5.
It will be seen from the table of deaths on page 35 that 56 out of a total of
136 deaths occurring during the year took place in the patients' own houses.
The desire of patients to remain at home is one with which it is easy to sympathise
but it cannot be stated too clearly that, unless there are in the home space for isolation
and facilities for nursing, rare in this Borough, the dying patient constitutes a grave
menace to other members of the family.
The Shoreditch Tuberculosis Dispensary is at the Royal Chest Hospital, and
is under the joint administration of the Finsbury, Islington and Shoreditch Borough
Councils. The Dispensary Staff includes three Tuberculosis Visitors, one of whom
is responsible for visiting patients resident in Shoreditch. In his report for 1927
the Tuberculosis Officer stated that it was difficult for one sister to carry out the
home visiting of the large number of cases on the Shoreditch Register as thoroughly
as was desirable. During the year under consideration the Health Committee
gave this matter their attention, and in December a second Tuberculosis Nurse
was appointed for the Borough. This officer, who did not take up her duties until
after the expiration of the year under consideration, has office accommodation at
the Town Hall. The work of the Tuberculosis Dispensary and of the Shoreditch
Tuberculosis Care Committee during 1928 is dealt with in the following reports
by Dr. A. Lcitch, the Medical Officer to the Dispensary, and by Miss Smith, Hon.
Secretary to the Care Committee:—-
BOROUGH OF SHOREDITCH TUBERCULOSIS DISPENSARY.
Report for Year 1928.
To the Medical Officer of Health,
Town Hall, Shoreditch.
Sir,
In presenting my Report on the work done in the Tuberculosis Dispensary
during 1928, I beg to inform you that, as arranged at the Conference with the representatives
of the Ministry of Pensions, held towards the end of 1927,1 attended the
Metropolitan Boarding Clinic, Westminster, twice weekly for a number of weeks
in the early part of the year.
You will, no doubt, remember that the Conference referred to concerned those
tuberculous War Pensioners who had been in receipt of Treatment Allowances for,
in many cases, several years. The Ministry of Pensions considered the time had
arrived when the physical condition of these pensioners should be reviewed with the
object of granting satisfactory pension awards rather than continuing Treatment
Allowances indefinitely. The arrangement was that all pensioners who had been
receiving Treatment Allowances for more than one year should be so boarded. Many
of these were put forward by the Board for final awards, and in the majority of cases,
I am glad to report the Ministry agreed. Such cases were, of course, recommended
for 100 per cent, awards. On the other hand, there are still cases which have not
yet been given permanent pensions, and to these I am giving close attention, since,