View report page

Masters of ships approaching London from a Foreign Port, whether or not fitted with radio
equipment for contacting the Thames Navigation Service, are still required to send a radio
message to "Portelth London" giving expected time of arrival at Gravesend and particulars of
any infectious disease on board. All such messages are received by the North Foreland Radio
Station and then telephoned direct by the G.P.O. to the Boarding Medical Officer on duty at the
Hulk "Hygeia".
In the event of further information being required from a ship, for instance, as to clinical
details of any infectious diseases or perhaps as to the necessity of removing a patient at Gravesend,
or, again, about preparations to be made by the ship for disembarkation of a patient, contact
with the ship by the Boarding Medical Officer can be made through the Thames Navigation Service
up to as much as two hours in advance of the time of arrival at Gravesend.
At times when the Boarding Medical Officer is fully occupied, e.g. when there is a medical
emergency or several ships to be visited urgently, or to avoid delay to a ship in exceptional
circumstances, it is possible to check with the ship direct and with the co-operation of H.M.
Customs arrange for 'free pratique' to be granted immediately and without the ship being boarded
by the Medical Officer.
3. Notifications otherwise than by Radio (Regulation 14(l)(b)
Ships requiring the Port Medical Officer at night show the statutory signal of 'a red light over
a white light', the lights being not more than six feet apart, shown at the peak or where the
signal can best be seen from the shore.
The present instructions as to signals for ships requiring the Boarding Medical Officer are
therefore as follows:
BY DAY—Fly the Flag Signal L I M
BY NIGHT—Show a Red Light over a White Light
4. Mooring Stations (Regulations 22 to 30)
On arrival of an infected or suspected ship, or any other ship on which there has been during
its current voyage and within the last four weeks before arrival a case of quarantinable
disease (plague, cholera, yellow fever, smallpox, typhus or relapsing fever), the medical officer
may direct that the master take the ship to a 'mooring station' so that the ship does not come
into contact with other ships or the shore.
It has been agreed with the Port of London Authority and the Waterguard Superintendent of
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise that the Mooring Stations will be at suitable berths to be allocated
by the Harbour Master as required.
Particulars of any Standing Exemption from the provisions of Article 14
Unless there is sickness on board, oil tankers are not required to send a radio message as to
time of arrival.
In the case of oil tankers, proceeding up the River Medway and to Thames Haven, arrangements
have been made for H.M. Customs and Excise to issue Pratique if the answers given to questions
on the Declaration of Health form are all in the negative.
If any answers are in the affirmative H.M. Customs carry out the following procedure.
(a) Inform the Master that he is not to allow any unauthorised person to leave the ship
without the Medical Officer's permission;
(b) Issue modified pratique and allow vessel to proceed to her place of mooring, loading or
discharge. A full "Certificate of Pratique" is left on board addressed to the Medical
Officer of Health who will issue it in due course.
(c) In the most expeditious manner notify the nearest Medical Officer of the Port Health
Authority.
5. Arrangements for:
(a) Hospital accommodation for infectious diseases (other than Smallpox—see Section VII)
Since Denton Hospital has been taken over by the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital
Board under the National Health Services Act, the Port Health Authority has continued to exercise,
through the Senior Assistant Port Medical Officer, and the Assistant Port Medical Officers,
the medical supervision of cases admitted to the hospital. The Nursing and administrative control
lies with the Dartford Hospital Management Committee. Consultant advice on difficult cases is
available through the Physician-Superintendent of Joyce Green Hospital, Dartford.
Denton Hospital is always ready to receive cases of infectious disease occurring on ship.
This hospital, however, has only very limited clinical facilities and cases which are likely to
require specialised treatment or laboratory investigation are sent direct, or via Denton Hospital,
to Joyce Green Hospital or one of the larger hospitals in the Metropolis.
If at all possible, cases of sickness are disembarked into one of the Port Health Authority's
launches for conveyance to Denton Hospital, there to be admitted or else put into a waiting
ambulance. Ships which are berthing at Tilbury Landing Stage can conveniently land sick cases
there, either into a Port Health launch or into an ambulance.
12