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6
Tuberculosis has come to be regarded as being fairly well
contained but it is disturbing to record a comparatively sharp rise
in cases this year. From the Consultant Chest Physician s report
it will be seen that half the increase is attributed to immigrants.
We are often presented with difficulties in persuading and explaining
the need for immigrant contacts of tuberculosis to present themselves
for investigation and surveillance.
STAFFING
Except for Public Health Inspectors and Health Visitors we have
been most fortunate in maintaining a very high level of staffing.
We are more than pleased with the situation in the domiciliary
midwifery field, where there is an ever-increasing case load due to
the higher birthrate and the early discharges from the maternity
hospitals
FUTURE PROSPECTS
When the long awaited Comprehensive Clinic in Hurst Road is
finally built it will enable us to put into effect many of the schemes
which a forward looking local authority health service seeks to
attain.
The Audiology Unit will offer a complete assessment of the
child s hearing at the earliest possible age together with opportun
ities to combine this with the essential counselling and instruction
of the parents in their part in assisting the child to overcome its
handicap.
Facilities will also be more readily available to bring together
a team of varying disciplines to make an early and comprehensive
assessment of all handicapped children. The increasing number of
infants who survive with serious congenital and multiple defects
demands such early and expert evaluation and management and all
assistant medical officers should be given the opportunity of train
ing in this field of child health and development.
General Practitioner participation in the Clinic opens up
exciting fields of co-operation between them and our staff. There
could be mutual efforts in establishing preventive clinics in the
field of geriatrics and mental health. Of great interest and urgency
at the present isthe cytology clinic, i.e., the examination of women
in vulnerable age groups for precancerous lesions of the womb.
The Clinic will also provide much needed facilities for a Health
Education Centre and could be used for the instruction of both pre
and post graduate medical students in practical public health and
preventive medicine with benefit to the future general practitioner
as well as stimulating recruitment of suitable candidates to careers
in the Service