[Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Smethwick County Borough.

  • Smethwick (Worcestershire, England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1948
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1948] / Medical Officer of Health, Smethwick County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/48 (page 25)
    Dr. liussell lias furnished the following report on the work of the Chest Clinic during 1948 ;— During 1948 the work of the Chest Clinic again increased by a con¬ siderable amount. At the end of the year the number of cases on the Register was 910 as against 806 at the end of 1947, an increase of nearly 13%. The number of persons examined was 4,071 as agaiu.st 2,623, an increase of 55%, and the number of chest X-i ay films taken was 2,468 compared with 1,978 in 1947, an increase of 25%. This represents approximately four times the volume of work carried out by the Chest Clinic in pre-war times and I would like to pay tribute to the nurse and clerk-radiograjiher whose unselfish devotion to duty has made it possible to cope with all the extra work. In 1948 the Chest fJlinic had a staff of three, the same as in 1939. Several factors are probably concei’ued in causing the increase in examinations and finding of new cases. 1. War-time conditionsi of mental and physical strain, restricted and monotonous food, overcrowded houses all ijersist into the iiost-wai- austerity period. 2. Local doctors ai’e very much alive to the value of sending .su.s|)ect cases as early as possible and appreciate the services available at the Chest Cline. 3. Tile people of Smethwick co-operate extremely well in- coining for examination as family contacts. While eai’ly diagnosis is very important, the crucial factor in limiting the spread of the disease is adequate housing and although during the year many tuberculous families have been found better living accom¬ modation. there are still very many more living in overcrowded homes. During the year a Survey was made of the tuberculous families, where there was a sputum positive patient in the house, and in only three was it found that the children were not already infected. \ Survey was also made of new cases seen during 1948 with the idea of ascertaining how they were discovered and the .stage of the disease. As nearly all the children are found by contact examination, onlj- cases of 16 years and over were included in the survey, the I’esults of which are summarised in the following table:— T.B. Minus. Plus 1. Plus 2. Plus 3. Total 55 — 11 47 113 2 — 1 1 4 Sent by doctor Referred from Services ... Seen as contacts ... 4 .3 1 This shows that the local doctors utilised the diagnostic facilities provided at the Chest Clinic extremely well and that aijproximately 49^, of the cases were seen at a reasonably early stage of the disease. The year 1948 saw the inauguration of the National Health Service and for the latter six months of the year the Chest Clinic and its Staff were under the Biimingham Regional Hospital Board. There has been no change in the Staff or Service at the Clinic and probably jjatients have been unaware of any change. One unfoitunate result has ■followed the change however, as the number of sanatorium beds available for the treatment of Smethwick patients has been reduc-ed from 67 in 1947 to 43 at the end of 1948. For the first time for several years there is again a short waiting period for treatment. The main difficulty is surgical treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, but it is to be hoped that as Regional Schemes are developed this form of treatment will be more readily available. Another effect of the rliange was that the Treatment Allowance Scheme was taken over by the National Assistance Board. Smethwick Health Committee and After Care Conim,ittee are still resi)onsible for the home welfare of ])atients, and the free milk scheme has lieen even more fully