[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond].

  • Richmond upon Thames (London, England). Council.
Date:
[1970]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    This service continues to expand and at the end of the year there were approxi mately 100 cases receiving this service, compared with 95 at the end of 1968, 70 at the end of 1967, and 50 at the end of 1966. Pads, waterproof pants with disposable linings are provided for incontinent patients. Incontinent pads, instead of sheets, are used where appropriate, thus reducing the laundering of soiled bed linen. These are normally distributed by the district nurses. Used pads are collected and destroyed whenever disposal is requested. TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICE The service provided by Telephone Answering Services Ltd., was used for emerg ency calls by the midwifery, mental health services and to some extent by the home help service during the year. This service operates on a full-time basis for midwives and at nights, weekends and holidays for mental welfare officers. The home help service use this facility during Bank Holidays. Radio Telephone Service. Midwives and mental welfare officers continue to use the radio telephones which are rented to the Council by Telephone Answering Services Ltd. Four sets are used by the midwives and two by the mental welfare officers. The use of these radio telephone sets ensures a total 24-hour emergency cover for both services. Artificial Dialysis. In accordance with the general approval issued by the Minister of Health in January, 1968, arrangements were made, in collaboration with the Housing Officer, for a Home Dialysis unit to be installed in a Council house for a patient referred by a teaching hospital. MEDICAL ASSESSMENTS The assessment of medical fitness of new entrants to the Council's service contin ued to make heavy demands on medical and clerical time. A completed medical questionnaire and a satisfactory chest X-ray examination undertaken within the last twelve months are required of each new entrant. A full physical examination is carried out in any case of doubt, and on all entrants to teacher training colleges. In addition, recommendations as to medical fitness to continue in the Council's service were made following consultation with the family doctors concerned and physical examinations. The number involved over the year was:— Total number of medical assessments 1,733 (1,686) Total number of physical examinations 462 (483) Total number examined for continued service 62 (57) Total number found unfit for further service 8 (14) The figures for 1968 are given in brackets. WATER SUPPLY All the dwellings in the Borough are supplied from the Metropolitan Water Board's mains, and I am indebted to Dr. E. Windle Taylor, Director of Water Examination, Metropolitan Water Board, for the following report: 1 a) The supply was satisfactory both as to (i) quality, and (ii) quantity through out 1969. 59