[Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, West Suffolk County Council.

  • West Suffolk (England). County Council.
Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, West Suffolk County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    SANATORIUM ACCOMMODATION. It will be remembered that under the original arrangement this accommodation at White Lodge Emergency Hospital, Newmarket, consisted of a hut for men and a block in the original hospital for women but that it had been found practicable at the beginning to use the two blocks in the original hospital. Later, however, owing to the increased demand for sanatorium treatment, it was neces¬ sary to provide extended accommodation. It was decided, therefore, to implement the original arrangement by using a hut for male patients and by the kind agreement of the Ministry of Health it was decided to allocate a similar hut for the female patients. By the provision of verandahs for these huts excellent sanatorium accommodation has been provided. I would like here to pay tribute to the devoted and excellent work of Dr. Arden Jones and Dr. Platts. They do not confine their work to the actual care of the patients while they are in the sanatorium. Their interest in following up cases on discharge and after-care has been most helpful both to my Department and to the patients themselves, from whom very appreciative reports are received. There is no doubt that the setting up of a Tuberculosis Department at White Lodge Hospital has resulted in a very great improvement in the County Tuberculosis Service as the appended figures for the year will show :— Males. Females. Admissions to White Lodge Hospital 42 42 Discharges from White Lodge Hospital 31 38 Admissions to “ Other Hospitals ” 24 24 Discharges from “ Other Hospitals ” 23 20 Number of Patients admitted to Hill End Hospital, St. Albans, for thora¬ coplasty, etc., from White Lodge Hospital 16 Number of Patients who attended White Lodge Hospital for Special Investigations—For Assessment and Diagnosis !3 For Observation 15 Number of Patients who attended White Lodge Hospital for Artificial Pneu¬ mothorax Refills— . . . . . . . . . . ; 15 Total Number of Refills 234 (approximately) Number of Patients who attended “ Other Hospitals ” for Artificial Pneu¬ mothorax Refills— 2 Total Number of Refills 20 Number of X-Rays carried out at White Lodge Hospital 78 Number of X-Rays carried out at West Suffolk Hospital 66 Number of X-Rays carried out at “ Other Hospitals ” .. J3 Adults. Children. Number of Contacts examined 41 43 In addition all contacts are seen at the routine school medical inspections. DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF PERSONS SUFFERING FROM PULMONARY TUBERCU¬ LOSIS-APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. This Scheme came into operation on 13-8-43 and it was decided that the administration of the Scheme should be through the Public Health Department, the Health Visitors working under the County Tuberculosis Officer. From the date of commencement up to the end of the Year, n Males and 8 Females had received the Allowance. VENEREAL DISEASES. V.D. Officer—Dr. Robert H. Clayton. The total number of cases treated at the County Clinic at Bury St. Edmund’s was one hundred and ninetv-six, of whom fifty-one were Service cases. One hundred and sixteen new cases, including three Service men, were seen for the first time at the County Clinic and twenty-three new cases were treated at Centres outside the County, making a total of one hundred and thirty-nine new West Suffolk cases. The diagnoses in these cases were : Syphilis 13, Gonorrhoea 43, Soft Chancre 2, non-venerea! and un¬ diagnosed conditions 81. The number of attendances at clinics were :—Bury St. Edmund’s 1,103, Cambridge 119, Ipswich 94. During the year 292 specimens were sent to laboratories for examination from the Clinic at Bury St. Edmund’s. Of these, 139 were blood specimens for Wassermann test. As reported last year, facilties for treatment at the County Clinic were extended. The need for this has been maintained throughout the year and the arrangements have continued. . As the figures will show, much work has been done in this department and Dr. Clayton has shown the greatest interest, zeal, and clinical acumen in this work. I append a short note by Dr. Clayton on the position “ Cases dealt with for the first time at the County Clinic, and the total number of patients’ attendances at the Clinic increased from 23 and 373 in 1939 to 156 and 1,103 in 1943. Clinically the year 1943 was interesting although the War caused fluctuations which prevented clinical observa¬ tion continuing in many cases. Throughout the year those patients who were not subject to this fluctuation in their places of employment attended most regularly.