Boerhaave Nascholing Infectious Diseases 2018

I am delighted to be giving an after dinner lecture at the National Infectious Disease Congress in the Netherlands "Boerhaave Nascholing Infectious Diseases 2018".  

On Thursday evening I will explore the rise of the public dispensary movement in early 20th century Britain. These tax-payer funded dispensaries were established after the National Health Insurance Act of 1911. 

I'm focusing on the dispensary, known as the Prevention of Tuberculosis Department at the Royal Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, City Road, London. This dispensary served the people of Shoreditch, Finsbury and Islington South.

I want to talk about getting this initiative up and running, while keeping its many stakeholders (moderately) happy.  

Could the dispensary deliver their goals and improve tuberculosis care in these deprived London boroughs?

TB remains both stigmatising and a disease of social exclusion, problems which the dispensary had to acknowledge and attempt to tackle along with the coughs and night sweats, undernourishment and overcrowding. 

Two days after my talk, 24 March 2018 is #WorldTBDay2018. This year's slogan is Leaders for a TB-free world Would the Dispensary staff have made the grade?