[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council.

  • Somerset (England). County Council.
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Somerset County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/112 (page 7)
    BLIND PERSONS The Somerset Association for the Blind continues to carry out the general work on behalf of, and with a grant from, the County Council. This arrangement works very well in practice, and with real advantages to the blind. Nine Home Teachers, one of whom is blind, were employed by the County Association during 1960. There were 26 home workers and 2 workshop employees under the supervision of the Bristol Royal Blind Asylum Workshops. At the end of 1960, 1,202 persons (474 male and 728 female) in the County were registered as blind - this is a decrease of 1 over 1959. In addition, there were 178 persons registered as being partially sighted. As previously, prior to admission to the Register of Blind Per¬ sons, it is necessary for certification to be carried out by a medical practitioner, with special experience in ophthalmology. In a very few instances of the aged or bedridden in remote areas, it is possible, by a modification agreed to by the Minister of Health, for the medical attendant to supply the necessary information on form B.D.8. Little delay is now experienced generally in having persons known to be blind admitted to the Register, and the co-operation of Ophthalmic Surgeons in supplying the necessary information is appreciated. An examination of 176 forms B.D.8 received during the year shows the following FOLLOW-UP OF REGISTERED BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS (i) Number of cases registered during the year in respect Cataract of which para. 7(c) of forms B.D.8 recommends: — Retrolental Glaucoma Fibroplasia Others (a) No treatment 26 17 0 (b) Treatment (medical, surgical or optical) 21 6 0 (ii) Number of cases at (i)(b) above which on follow-up action have received treat¬ ment ... ... ... 12 Treated 3 Refused 1 Died 5 Too frail 5 Treated 1 Died 77 29 23 Treated 5 Died 1 Too ill Once again no cases of blindness from retrolental fibroplasia were registered during the year.