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two dormitories, each intended to hold eight beds, and having its own domestic and cooking
arrangements. The idea was to use the cubicles for the normal sporadic cases of various infectious
diseases, while in the event of a major outbreak of one infectious disease on a ship, the
dormitories would be brought into use and a complete cordon sanitaire could be thrown around the
dormitory block, should this be necessary, without involving the rest of the hospital.
Since 1948 there has been a further decline in the incidence of serious infectious disease in
the port, and it became apparent some years ago that the domitory block was no longer fulfilling
any useful purpose. By agreement with the local hospital authorities a lease was taken and
conversion was commenced. In addition, the old jetty and pontoon at which patients had been
landed, and which had for some years been in need of a major overhaul, was replaced with a much
longer and more up-to-date structure.
The new jetty is designed so that the biggest of the Authority's launches can come alongside
at all states of the tide and in all weathers, and moorings are provided for the launches down-river
of the jetty. The jetty itself leads to a door in the wall which protects the hospital from the
easterly and north-easterly gales, which can be very severe during the winter months. The possibility
of any member of the public having any contact with the operation of bringing an infectious
patient ashore is therefore reduced to an absolute minimum.
The boarding station provides accommodation for the following purposes:—
(a) Living and sleeping quarters for the boarding medical officer on watch.
(b) A working office for the Port Health Inspector who covers the lower river district and who
uses one of the two launches based at Denton.
(c) Living quarters for the launch crews on watch.
(d) Office accommodation for the Senior Navigator and the Senior Engineer of the launch fleet.
(e) Kitchen accommodation capable of providing adequate hot meals for all these men.
(f) An operations room which can be in immediate contact by radio, land-line or telephone
with any of the other branches of the Port Health Authority, other agencies working in the
port, or any ship in the river.
It is proposed that launches operating from Denton will cover the whole of the lower river
down to Sea Reach. Masters of ships intending to berth below this will be required to report to the
boarding medical officer on watch, via the new radio arrangements, and, if the doctor is satisfied,
the ship will be allowed alongside her berth, where further health checks will be carried out by
officers of Her Majesty's Customs and by Port Health Inspectors. If, however, the doctor considers
it necessary, he has the capacity to go down-river and board the ship before she arrives off her
berth, even though the latter may be in the Medway or at one of the other oil installations on the
north shore of the estuary, carry out any investigations that are necessary, transfer any patients
from ship to launch, and take them back for hospitalisation at Denton.
Radio receiving and transmitting port
The Department of Health and Social Security has now formally accepted the Corporation's
application for the Port of London to be designated as a radio transmitting and receiving port
under Section 12 of the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1966. This is the first and only Port
Health Authority in the United Kingdom to be authorised in this way.
The new boarding and quarantine station at Denton has been linked with the Thames
Navigation Service at Gravesend. Accordingly the Medical Officer on watch can talk direct to a
ship whether he is in the hospital or on a launch at the time. The Port Medical Officer will thus
be able to question the Master on the state of health of his ship and if this consultation is
satisfactory the Port Medical Officer may permit him to take his ship alongside, but quarantine
control will not be relaxed until the ship has been boarded by an officer of Her Majesty's Customs
who will re-check the Maritime Declaration of Health and any other relevant documents and, if
satisfied, grant pratique.
If the Port Medical Officer is not satisfied by his radio discussion with the Master he will,
in co-operation with the Thames Navigation Service, instruct the Master on what action he should
take and will, if necessary, proceed down river himself to carry out any necessary investigations.
If the customs officer on boarding the ship at the berth is not satisfied he will not grant pratique
but will notify the Port Medical Officer who will take any necessary action.
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