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13
I am indebted to Dr. Harley Stevens, the Senior Tuberculosis Officer,
for the following account of the activities of the Tuberculosis Dispensaries
during the year:—
This year the procedure for assisting families to obtain adequate housing
accommodation has been simplified and there is good co-operation between
the Public Health Department of the Borough Council and London County
Council.
More contacts have been examined and facilities for promoting their
welfare have been utilised to a greater extent than formerly. More children
were boarded out under the London County Council Scheme in 1937 than in
any previous year. The machinery for obtaining accommodation for suitable
children in London County Council convalescent homes is extremely simple
and smooth in operation from the Dispensary point of view.
The Borough Council's scheme for providing extra nourishment for
tuberculous patients continues to be a valuable aid towards the recovery of
such patients. In addition, extra nourishment for contacts as well as for
patients is available to families in receipt of assistance from the Public Assistance
Committees or the Unemployment Assistance Board if their condition
requires it.
With regard to extra nourishment generally, the co-operation of the
Relieving Officers and the Area Officers has been very helpful and the assessment
of family requirements has been carried out with every consideration
for the Tuberculosis Officers' wishes.
Following a meeting of Metropolitan Tuberculosis Officers during the
year the scale of extra nourishment was to some extent standardised in the
London Boroughs.
The Jewish Board of Guardians have continued to assist their own people
upon the recommendation of the Tuberculosis Officers and the Borough's
responsibility for extra nourishment for these patients has been adjusted
accordingly.
A number of women patients have availed themselves of the London
County Council scheme enabling infected mothers to spend the latter months
of pregnancy in a Sanatorium and have their babies in hospital. The scheme
is excellent in theory but it is difficult to persuade some young mothers to
continue Sanatorium treatment afterwards unless it is constantly impressed
upon them that complete separation from their babies is desirable because of
the high incidence of fatal tuberculosis in such infant contacts. Their own
health is also likely to suffer from the strain of caring for a baby and irreparable
damage to the lungs may result. The latter argument appears to have little
weight with a young mother eager to undertake the personal care of her first
child.
Friendly co-operation between the general hospitals of the London
County Council and the Dispensaries has been of great help to us and I have
no doubt the regular hospital visiting by the Tuberculosis Officers has assisted
in the precision of diagnosis, initiating suitable treatment and facilitating the
placing of patients. The patients are always glad to see the Tuberculosis
Officers and on our part the access to the wards enables us to establish early
contact with new admissions. It would be a great loss to the Dispensary