[Report 1941] / Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council.

  • Essex (England). County Council.
Date:
1941
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1941] / Medical Officer of Health, Essex County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    28/38 (page 28)
    Decrease in the number of beds elsewhere and other factors altering the balance of the pre-war tuberculosis scheme have necessitated the acceptance of a higher percentage of rather advanced cases than would be admitted normally, and their prolonged retention for segregation owing to adverse conditions in the metropolitan areas consequent on air raids, has made heavy demands on beds. Nevertheless, no patient responding to treatment who could be expected to receive further benefit not obtainable at home, has been discharged prematurely. It is not surprising therefore that all 300 beds have been occupied continuously and the waiting list has at times been disquietingly long. Bedside industries have flourished. A hospital magazine has been produced monthly (printed elsewhere), but occupational therapy on the more ambitious lines contemplated pre-war, has not been developed. u It was inevitable that a tuberculosis hospital opening in wartime should have its share in the difficulty of recruiting nursing and domestic staff, and the need for employment of a large number of assistant nurses from it co-operations is regrettable but diminishing, and the nucleus of permanent staff continues to grow. The average age of the subordinate male staff is much higher than it would be in peace time. Thirty-four acres of land are being cultivated by the hospital, the remaining 447 acres being leased to tenant farmers. The medical staff have been responsible for the district tuberculosis ? work in the boroughs and rural districts of Chelmsford and Maldon ; the laboratory has carried out special examinations for the laboratories att Chelmsford and Essex, St. John’s and Black Notley hospitals; out-patientti refill and other clinics have been carried on and generally the hospital hasss acted as a consultative centre with its resident and visiting staff. BO ft 1 i Sit; 111 «p After-care. The nine voluntary Tuberculosis Care Associations in the County continued their useful functions during the year. With the financial assistance given by the County Council and in spite of war conditions, each Care Association has maintained its - funds and has been able to give considerable help to many patients. Nevertheless' there remains much to be done in ensuring that patients discharged from Institutions dv with the disease in a quiescent stage have every opportunity for making permanent ■]• the good results of such institutional treatment. Patients who leave the Hospital or Sanatorium in a reasonably good state of health often return to unsuitable housess and unsuitable employment. The patient cannot be blamed for this if some assistance . is not given to him to remedy the position. There is no doubt that the After Care Associations within the limits of their ability I have performed a most useful function in respect to propaganda and giving kindly and sympathetic assistance to a limited number of patients and their families. Never- theless, the main value of their work has been to disclose how much still requires to be done by a sustained national effort to improve the prospects of the consumptive person and also to attain the ultimate desired results in the elimination of the disease from the community.