National Insurance Act, 1911: Administration of sanatorium benefit. Report by the Medical Officer and Tuberculosis Officer on memo. no.112./I.C.

  • Evans, W. Arnold.
Date:
[1911?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: National Insurance Act, 1911: Administration of sanatorium benefit. Report by the Medical Officer and Tuberculosis Officer on memo. no.112./I.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    to take its place. In either case the principal parts of any scheme as indicated by the Departmental Committee in their Interim Report will consist of two units, viz. :— (1) The Tuberculosis Dispensary. (2) Sanatoria, Hospitals and other institutions. For the permanent scheme we suggest the following arrange- ments :— 1.—A Tuberculosis Dispensary, in commodious premises, in charge of a Tuberculosis Officer, who has had special experience in Tuberculosis work, with as many assistants as may be found to be necessary. The assistants would include assistant medical officers and nurses, together with secretarial and dispensing staff. The function of the dispensary will be to serve as :— (1) Receiving house and centre of diagnosis. (2) Clearing house and centre of observation. (3) Centre for curative treatment. (4) Centre for examination of contacts. (5) Centre for after care. (6) Information bureau and educational centre. In order that the greatest advantage may be obtained from the work of the dispensary, we suggest that the equipment shall include (a) an X-ray department, which is necessary for the accurate diagnosis of certain forms of Tuberculosis, (b) facilities for the administration of Tuberculin for both diagnosis and treatment, (c) a bacteriological department, (d) a dispensing department, which need only be small, for only a minor proportion of the patients require medicine, (e) facilities for the distribution of litera- ture for educational purposes, (/) sufficient staff for visiting and examination of persons who have been living in contact with a patient, and who themselves may be suffering from Tuberculosis. We regard the visitation of the patient's home and examination of contacts as a most important part of the dispensary work, which if carefully carried out, will lead to the discovery of many cases in the early stages of consumption, some of which will be suitable for sanatorium treatment. In association with the dis- pensary there should also be an arrangement for the after-care