[Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Bristol.

  • Bristol (England). Council.
Date:
1944
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1944] / Medical Officer of Health, Bristol. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/130 (page 15)
    During the year, Mr. Belsey has again undertaken work for the Health Committee and at an out-patient session at the Central Health Clinic on Wednesday afternoons there have been 1,014 attendances of patients referred by the tuberculosis officers, general practitioners, x-ray and mass x-ray departments. The surgeon visits the sanatoria of the Bristol Health Committee and consults with the medical officers, when requested, on the suitability of cases for thoracic surgery, and arranges the admission of these cases to Kewstoke Emergency Hospital for the necessary operations or investigations. These consisted of eight thoracoplasty, two adhesion sections and four investigations during the year; 61 bronchograms were undertaken for children at Frenchay Park Sanatorium. These figures are well below the average for the previous years, owing to the fact that following D ” Day, all airborne chest casualties were treated at Kewstoke and very little treatment of civilian cases could be undertaken. As the result of the influx of casualties and sick at Kewstoke, the civilian work has been grossly curtailed and is still held up by the shortage of staff. There has accumulated a long waiting list of patients requiring surgical treatment. A number of chest operations have been performed at Southmead Hospital, Ham Green and Winsley Sanatoria, during this period. Financial Assistance (statistics page 71). The government scheme for the payment of allowances to persons suffering from tuberculosis is now fully established, as will be seen by examination of the relevant statistics. Payments are made weekly at five district pay offices spread over the city so that patients do not have to travel far to collect the allowances. Payments are also made at the various sanatoria and hospitals under the control of the local authority. The scheme is having a useful effect in promoting early treatment and many expressions of appreciation have been received from patients and dependants. In some cases, however, the patient has found difficulty in managing on the allowance, par- ticularly where there are dependent children and the sole income of the family is the allowance and National Health Insurance benefit. The Voluntary Care Committee has dealt sympathetically with applications for bedding, clothing and footwear for patients and their dependants and has also made small cash allowances for various reasons. During the year grants have been made to 68 patients (or dependants) who were in receipt of allowances under the scheme. It is regretted that the scheme does not cover the non-pulmonary case and that it is limited to those patients where there is a reasonable prospect of return to work. An arrangement with the Social Welfare Committee, whereby patients no longer regarded as being eligible continue to be paid by the tuberculosis welfare officer on the social welfare scale works very well, and obviates the necessity of the patient making a personal application to the Social Welfare Committee. The department works in close co-operation with the rehabilitation officers of the Ministry of Labour in advising as to the nature of employment to be undertaken by patients after treatment. No special committee has yet been appointed in Bristol. Mass Miniature Radiography. On the 6th January, 1944, the City Council approved the Health Committee’s proposal to purchase a mass miniature radiography unit at a cost of £2,000. They also approved of the appointment of a medical director, radiographer, dark room assistant, organising secretary and two clerks—all to form a team for the operation of the scheme. Under arrangements made by the Ministry of Health, the team were sent to London in June, where they received a month's training in the specialised work which they were to undertake. The unit had a preliminary session in July by examining pupils who were then leaving school, and after final adjustments in the lay-out of the accommodation at the Central Health Clinic, the unit was formally opened on 15th September by the Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of Bristol. This radiographic apparatus enables radiographic photographs to be taken on miniature films. The examination of the miniature films under magnification will disclose to an expert whether there is any departure from the normal, even if there are no symptoms apparent on clinical examination, and arrangements are then made for any more detailed examination that is considered necessary as a result of the expert's study of the photograph. The purpose is to sift out from a number of apparently normal people those whose condition, in fact, requires further attention in order to restore them to good health. The vast majority of those examined by mass radiography receive the satisfying assurance that their lung picture is satisfactory and a check up