View report page

B.C.G. Vaccination against Tuberculosis.
B.C.G. Vaccination of schoolchildren at about the age of 13 is carried out under
Section 28 of the National Health Service Act. During 1966, 1,724 schoolchildren
were skin-tested and the details are as follows:—
No. skin-tested 1724 (343)
No. found positive 150 (294)
No. found negative 1530 (49)
No. vaccinated 1513 (49)
The figures in brackets show schoolchildrcn who were re-vaccinated during the
year.
AFTER-CARE FACILITIES.
The Barnes and Richmond Chest and Tuberculosis Care Committee continued to
undertake the after-care of chest cripples and extended its area of operation to include
the Twickenham parti of the Borough as from the 1st June, 1966. The name of the
organisation was changed to the Richmond upon Thames Chest and Tuberculosis Care
Committee.
I am indebted to Mrs. M. Jolliffe, Chairman, and her colleagues for the following
report on the progress of the organisation during 1966 :
"This Care Committee has worked in Richmond and Barnes for many years
to alleviate the distress which comes with serious illness and fill the gaps inevitably
left by official schemes of treatment and allowances. The patient and his family
are considered as a unit and help is offered to those suffering any form of chest
disease. Food, fuel, holidays, clothes, furnishings and many other items are
provided.
Since June, 1966, activities have been extended to the whole of the Borough
of Richmond upon Thames. In addition to the work already done the Committee
now has the responsibility for handling the schcme of extra nourishment for
necessitous cases, agreed by the Borough Council and financed by a generous grant
from them. Other kinds of help can also be given from this grant to those below
the Council Grand scale. For those above this scale, but with special needs and
problems, the money raised by the Committee itself is used.
The build-up of work in the Twickenham area has been somewhat slow—
from May to December, 1966, six families being helped, while there were 55
helped in the Richmond and Barnes area. Of this 55, in 33 cases the illness was
tuberculosis and in 22 some other kind of chest disease.
It is hoped with the Council grant and the help of interested people in the
Borough all chest cripples in need will soon be receiving help through the
Committee".
32