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General Provision of Health Services.
Co-ordination.
Since the taking over by the Council of the health services
provided under the old Board of Guardians, gradual changes have
taken place, particularly with regard to the more efficient utilization
of the hospital accommodation.
Arrangements have been made whereby any suitable cases
seen by the District Medical Officers may be drafted to a
Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic, or to the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
In the case of the former a post card as under is sent
direct to the Medical Officer of Health, who then makes the necessary
arrangements for their attendance. With regard to suspected
cases of tuberculosis, or cases requiring treatment, the
District Medical Officers send a card (specimen below) direct to
the Tuberculosis Officer, who upon receipt of this, arranges for an
appointment for examination.
A similar arrangement is made whereby patients attending
any of the Maternity and Child Welfare Clinics or Tuberculosis
Dispensary may be drafted to see the District Medical Officers,
when circumstances make it desirable, or are referred to the Public
Assistance Officer.
With regard to Foster Children, see page 60 of the Maternity
and Child Welfare section of this report.
On various occasions cases are sent to me by the Public Assistance
Officer where mental defect is suggested. Arrangements
are made for all these cases to be examined to discover whether or
not they are suitable to be dealt with under the Mental Deficiency
Acts. Some form of treatment is arranged in cases which can be
dealt with under the above Acts.
The Tuberculosis Officer visits the Whipps Cross Hospital at
intervals and confers with the Medical Superintendent on various
cases, and if necessary arranges their transfer to sanatorium or
elsewhere.
With regard to persons employed as Home Helps, a list of
persons so employed is sent to the Public Assistance Officer, so
do the names of all persons receiving extra nourishments under
the tuberculosis scheme. This is done because a Central Register
is kept of all people receiving money or other assistance from the
Council to prevent overlapping in this direction.
In the case of persons applying to be registered as Foster
Mothers, the Public Assistance Officer is asked as to whether or
not applicant is known to the Public Assistance Committee.
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