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Preventive Medicine, Care and After-Care.
This work can largely be divided into two classes of patient, those
suffering from Tuberculosis and those suffering from other forms of illness.
The prevention of tuberculosis must be looked upon as one of the most
urgent problems of preventive medicine and includes both direct and indirect
help. The main preventive measures in operation are the close
supervision of patient and contact, Mass Radiography Surveys, B.C.G.
vaccination and Health education and propaganda.
Each case of tuberculosis notified is visited at regular intervals by the
Tuberculosis Visitor who arranges for all members of the family to visit
the Chest Clinic for examination and advises the patient and contacts on
measures to be taken in the home to prevent the spread of infection.
Open air shelters and extra nourishment are provided for tuberculous
Patients, and where possible child contacts of patients are boarded out.
Re-habilitation of Tuberculous Patients.
During the year the Area Sub-Committee accepted financial responsibility
in two cases for patients undergoing re-habilitation at either Papworth
or Preston Hall Settlements. No charge is made to the patient.
Recuperative Holidays.
The Local Health Authority are empowered to provide recuperative
holidays for persons not in need of medical or nursing attention, and during
the year 19 cases from the Borough have been sent away. The length of
convalescence was: —
Two weeks 11
Three weeks 7
Four weeks 1
Domestic Help Service.
The demands on the Domestic Help service have been maintained
during the year, a total of 30,916 hours of help being supplied in comparison
with 33,330 hours in 1950.
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