[Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, Eastbourne County Borough.

  • Eastbourne (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1943
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1943] / Medical Officer of Health, Eastbourne County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The respcnso has been most oncoureging and the results enlightening and certainly well worth while. My colleagues in general practice have appreciated and made good use of the facilities available under the Scheme. ' Mass radiography will no doubt be available to all huthoritios in duo course, but meanwhile I am satisfied that a satisfactory service is bcirig provided. The provision of suitable institutional treatment frequently presented no little difficulty. We did hov/ever ultimately succGcd in satisfactorily placing all our cases. In this connection, the ‘^Harding*’ pavilion at the Sanatorium again helped to a considerable- degree. The securing of beds in voluntary Sanatoria and in those belonging to other Local Authorities becomes increasingly difficult and with the discovery of more early coses through mess radiography and other means, the position will not improve. Anxiety regarding the provision of adequate institutional accommodation has compollod mo to give my serious consideration to the advisability or otherwise of rc-opening the Gildrodge Hospital. I an awa.ee that sites such as the one in question arc difficult to secure in the town, and that the G-ildredgo site is probably suitable for one or more of the schemes the Council have in raind. I am also not unmindful of the possible change of control of the vjhole hospital' system of the Country under the Government’s proposed plan for a Nationail Health Service. Despite these factors however, I feel the accommodation at the Gildredge Hospital (24 bods) will bo needed for tuberculous patients and vmll probably have to be opened soon after the termination of hostilities. I have therefore come tO' the conclusion that it is my duty to advise the Authority to retain the site for hospital purposes. A number of cases of tuberculosis wore sent to the Brenpton Hospital, London, for expert opinion and advice. I would take this opportunity of expressing to the Authorities of that hospital, both medical end administrative our best thanks for the help they have always so courteously and sc ably given to us and tc the patients. The Goveriiment Scheme, as set out in Memo. 266/T for granting allowances . to persons vjho have to give up remunerative vjork in order to undertake treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis largely displaced our own schomo, introduced in 1942, for the payment of a special scale of allovjances to all necessitous tuberculous persons and their depende.nts. Under the Governraont Scheme, allcwancos to the amount Of £192..12.. 6 were paid in eight cases from July to December. Some ton cases only' were dealt with through the Interim Scheme under the Cancer Act 1939. The arrengenents made vnth the V/ostninster Hospital worked most satisfaotorily. I feel hovi/ever that greater use might well be made of the cxcollont facilities provided, noro particularly in the early stages of the disea.so. The Registrar General’s Return, for the second year in succession, reveals the absence of ;eny death from puerperal or other maternal cause. One women died from Acute Lobar PnouiTionia. on the fourth day pi'- the puerporium. The Government Hvacuation Scheme for expectant mothers was again greatly epprcciat'cd, and 129 women took advantage of it, as compared with 102 in the previous year. Tno Surrey County Council Authorities, in whose croc t];0 Smorgenc-y Eomes vjorc situated, provided a most excellent service and they at all tines co-operated to the full with the staff of this Derjartraent in all mrttei’S relating to the comfort and well being of mothers and inf'.nts. In ccnnocticn with thi-s Schome, the service rendered by the members of 'the Voluntcor Ctt reel, under the direction of His Worship the Mayor, was of ino3tii-;mblo value. Those ovjncr drivers took tC' ante natal hostels in Surrey, and brought bfck from the Emorgcncy Materrxity Horios., the great majority of the cases. The scrvico provided was a most oxcollent one, and was appreiated by c;.!! cc'iocrnGd, but by none more than the mothers themselves. It -was unfortunate that the Ministry of Health were unable to provide ov.-curtion facilities i'cr the •■bnormal expect-'^nt nether. This type of case, f s ir. tiiC provi us yo-'r, virs however dealt with roost satisfactorily in