[Interim report...[and] Final report.... Volume I.Report. Volume II. Appendix].

  • Great Britain. Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis.
Date:
1912-1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: [Interim report...[and] Final report.... Volume I.Report. Volume II. Appendix]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    1 are tuberculous. It should be added that the Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1906, is administered by the local education authorities, which thus may provide for the treatment of children suffering from malnutrition, ^ne of the chief predisposing conditions of tuberculosis. Voor haw Authorities. 11. The poor law authorities are the boards of guardians for the poor law unions into which England and Wales are divided, areas consisting of parishes or groups of parishes and not necessarily coterminous with the boundaries of counties or sanitary districts. It is their duty to provide medical relief for persons who are necessitous, and as destitution is frequently associated with tuberculosis, a large nimiber of cases of tuberculosis are to be found in their infirmaries and sanatoria. The majority of the cases found in poor law infirmaries and sanatoria are of the advanced and incurable type, but some earlier cases are also treated. The guardians also have power in certain circumstances to give out-relief to sufferers from tuberculosis and to their dependants. Metro'politan Asylums Board. 12. Considerable provision for London children chargeable to the guardians of the poor suffering from various forms of tuberculous diseases has been made in recent years by the Metropolitan Asylums Board. Voluntary Societies. 13. A great deal has been done by voluntary societies and bodies for the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis. Most of the sanatoria and some of the dispensaries now existing for this disease have been provided out of private charity and many are still maintained by voluntary contributions. In several of these institutions, beds have been subscribed for by local authorities for the use of patients from their districts whom it is desirable to send to sanatoria. Voluntary societies also provide health visitors and nurses, often in co-operation with the sanitary authority, to visit and attend tuberculous patients, and afford assistance to families that have become impoverished through tuberculosis. They also endeavour to educate public opinion with regard to tuberculosis by the distribution of leaflets and placards, and by lectures, exhibitions, etc. The National Insurance Act, 1911. 14. The resoui'ces for attacking the problem of tuberculosis have been strongly reinforced by the passing of the National Insurance Act. The Act, which applies throughout the United Kingdom, deals with (1) treatment; (2) erection of sanatoria and other institutions ; (3) research ; (4) education. (1) Treatment. Section 59 creates an Insurance Committee for every county and county borough. Regulations to be made by the Insurance Commissioners must require the Insurance Comrnittee of every county to prepare after consultation with the county council and submit for the approval of the Commissioners a scheme for the appointment of district insurance committees for the county, and prescribing the area to be assigned to each such committee. This scheme must in any case provide for the appointment of a district insurance committee for each borough (including the City of London and a metropolitan borough) within the county having a population of not less than 10,000 and for each urban district within the county with a population of not less than 20,000, subject to any arrangements for grouping with adjoining districts. Section 16 requires Insurance Committees to make arrangements with a view to providing treatment for insured persons suffering from tuberculosis (a) in sanatoria and other institutions, with persons or local authorities (other than poor law authorities) having the management of sanatoria or other institutions approved by the Local Government Board ; (6) otherwise than in sanatoria or other institutions, with persons and local authorities (other than poor law authorities) undertaking such treatment in a manner approved by the Local Government Board. The arrangements made by the Committees must be to the satisfaction of the Insurance Commissioners. _ The same section provides, for the purpose of defraying the expense of providing this treatment, the sum of Is. M. per annum in respect of each insui'ed person payable out of the insurance fund. A further sum of one penny in respect of each insured person is available from the Exchequer, but may be allocated by the Insurance Commissioners to research. A 4