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17
LOAN OF NURSING EQUIPMENT
The Middlesex Branch of the British Red Cross Society through its Divisions at Willesden and
Wembley continues to operate the loan of nursing equipment scheme on behalf of the Council.
Under these arrangements a hire charge is collected from the patient by the British Red Cross Society
and retained by the Society to enable it to purchase replacement equipment as required. If the patient is
unable to meet the hire charge this is paid by the Council. During 1970, 2,106 articles were loaned to
patients and £1,055 was paid to the Society to meet the hire charges. The Council arranges transport for
the collection and delivery of bulky articles.
In general, the scheme is intended to facilitate simple short-term nursing care in the patient's home.
Certain items of catheterisation equipment may be provided as a personal issue to paraplegic patients to
enable them to care for themselves in their own homes. Other items of equipment may be purchased in
special cases.
TUBERCULOSIS
(Tables 13—16)
Mortality and Morbidity
During 1970, 3 men and 4 woman died of respiratory tuberculosis compared with 5 men only
in 1969. They were all in the higher age groups, 3 being in the group 45—54 years, 2 in the group 65—74
years, and 2 in the 75 and over group. Five of the cases had not been previously notified to the Council as
suffering from the disease which indicates that there is still an undetected reservoir of infection among
older people in the community which holds hazards for the young and unprotected. In view of this, B.C.G.
vaccination is a very important preventive measure offered to all school leavers to raise their resistance to
the disease (for details of B.C.G. vaccination of school leavers see Report of Principal School Medical Officer,
page 64).
Care and After Care
The same provisions for the care and after care of patients, as have obtained in previous years,
continued with Willesden Chest Clinic, Pound Lane as the focal point of the chest services, although a small
number of Brent patients are also treated at Harrow and Edgware Chest Clinics. The Regional Hospital
Board employs the Physician-in-Charge at Willesden Clinic. As a consultant in chest diseases, he is primarily
clinically engaged with diagnosis and treatment, but he is also vitally concerned with prevention and after
care. For this reason, the Physician has general responsibility for this Authority's measures for ensuring the
after care of patients and this arrangement has stood the test of time well. To the same ends, the arrangements
also provide for the Physician-in-Charge to have direct control of Council staff at the Clinic who are
involved with the after care of patients.
Occupational Therapy
The services of the one full-time occupational therapist are now fully utilised by this Department but
in the main in the Welfare Division. The practice has evolved of having chest patients registered as physically
handicapped so that their therapy needs are met as part of the general case-load, both as regards guidance
and training in handicrafts at home as well as placement, where suitable, in sheltered work centres.
Vaccination against Tuberculosis
B.C.G. vaccination is provided for persons who are tuberculosis contacts, school children aged 13
years and over as well as students attending Universities, Teacher Training Colleges and other further
educational establishments.
Home Visiting
At the end of the year 4 tuberculosis visitors were employed. Although their prime function is
visiting patients' homes to advise on methods to overcome the spread of infection, to explain care and after
care facilities and to closely supervise all known contacts, they also have duties at the Chest Clinic, including
acting as Clinic Sister during diagnosis and treatment sessions. Home visits during the year totalled 1,021
of which 182 were to households proving to be non-tuberculous.
VENEREAL DISEASE
(Table 17)
The Venereal Disease Service was established in this country in 1916. Since then clinics staffed by
Specialists in venereology have been attached to the out-patient departments of most large general hospitals
in the United Kingdom. These clinics exist to advise and help patients and to control the spread of disease,
by investigation of all cases in which genital infection is suspected, by prompt treatment of patients and
infected contacts, and by follow up, to establish that treatment has been successful.
The clinics now deal with all the conditions transmitted by sexual intercourse and with some other
non-transmissible conditions of the genitalia so that patients who attend are no longer clearly stigmatised as
"V.D. patients".
The post of Special Services Social Worker at Brent is shared with the London Borough of Harrow
and her duties include that of social worker at the Special Clinic at Central Middlesex Hospital which she
attends twice a week. Her services include the tracing of contacts who are referred either by the patients
themselves or by other special clinics, the follow up of defaulters and the assisting of patients who attend
the clinic with any problems they may have. These range from financial problems to problems concerning
unwanted pregnancies, homosexuality and domestic troubles. In spite of the apparently wide needs for