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100
Care Committees deal with personal, domestic and economic
problems, including enquiry into home conditions, provision of
extra clothing, etc., recommendation for rehousing, help in finding
employment, and give advice regarding statutory entitlements and
assistance from charitable funds in exceptional circumstances.
The Handicraft Class formerly held at Lower Clapton Road was
substituted by a class at each of the two dispensaries, both of
which were well attended.
On the 5th July, 1948, consequent upon the National Health
Service Act, 1946 becoming operative, tuberculosis and the staff
engaged therein passed from the Borough Council to the London
County Council with the exception of the diagnosis and treatment
of tuberculosis, which went to the Regional Hospital Boards.
The Public Health Department, however, still deals with notifications,
statistics and disinfection.
The progressive advance in medical science which has been
reflected in the earlier diagnosis of tuberculosis, and improved
methods of treatment, combined with the provision of sanatoria
and hospital accommodation, after-care of patients, improvement
in housing conditions and the supervision of contacts did much
between 1920 and 1939 to reduce the annual number of notifications
of tuberculosis. In 1920 the number of cases notified was 549
but in 1940 this figure had dropped to 223. Superficially this
decrease appears to be less than one might expect in view of the
great changes which have been introduced but it must be borne
in mind that due to the dissemination of advice by tuberculosis
staff and the health education which has been undertaken, there
is now less reluctance on the part of contacts to submit themselves
to examination. As a result many cases which would have
been "missed" in 1920 are now diagnosed, most of them at
such an early stage that treatment can be given with every hope
that the patient will recover. This is borne out by comparing the
249 deaths in 1920 with the 92 deaths in 1949, whilst taken over
five-year periods the comparative figures are 1920-1924, 1,261
deaths and 1945-1949, 492 deaths.
Unfortunately, with tuberculosis, as with other aspects of
public health, circumstances arising during and after the war
tended to set back the progress made in the pre-war years, and from
1941 the number of notifications received began to show a slight
upward trend, which was maintained until 1949. It is to be
hoped that the peak has now been reached and that with improving
conditions we.shall soon see the figure dropping back to and below
the figure for 1940.