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49
Part of the routine measures to prevent the spread of tuberculosis
is the offer of B.C.G. vaccination to susceptible contacts of actual cases.
The susceptible contacts are identified by means of a simple skin test,
which indicates whether the additional protection of vaccination is
required. During the year, 686 contacts of actual cases were tested and
vaccination offered and accepted by 240 individuals.
Advisory Clinics for the Elderly
Weekly advisory clinics for the elderly continued during the year with
sessions at Broadway Clinic, Wealdstone; Tenby Road Clinic, Edgware;
and Kenmore Road Clinic, Kenton.
These clinics offer advice on personal problems, diet, accident
prevention, and all aspects of social welfare. A great deal of time can be
given to each patient and their needs at these clinics. Small problems such
as change of glasses and treatment by a chiropodist may make a great
deal of difference to an elderly patient and give improvement in mobility
and in general well-being. Any person found on examination to have a
condition requiring further investigations or treatment is referred with a
letter to his or her own medical practitioner. A health visitor and a medical
officer support all clinics for the elderly. There is a very friendly atmosphere
for all the elderly patients to enjoy during their visits to these clinic
sessions. Further sessions were started at Whittlesea Road and Cecil
Park Clinics in October 1971.
Venereal Disease
Responsibility for the treatment of venereal disease is vested in the
Regional Hospital Boards. Facilities are made available at various
hospitals in the region. Patients from the Borough tend to use the clinics
provided at the Central Middlesex and Hillingdon Hospitals although some
make use of treatment facilities provided by London teaching hospitals.
Sexually transmitted diseases are definitely on the increase. There
has been no change in the infecting organisms but there has been a radical
change in people's behaviour. One obvious way of tackling this problem
is attempting to trace the possible source of infection in the field, in other
words, contact tracing, to ensure that infected persons are sought out,
persuaded to have treatment and it is hoped rendered non-infective as
quickly as possible. To achieve this end, co-operation between hospital,
clinics, health departments and family doctors is absolutely essential. As
a method of helping in this campaign, each authority has nominated a
liaison officer who can be contacted by individual special treatment
clinics, giving appropriate information and it is hoped organise individual
members of the health department staff to make appropriate contact