Respiratory tuberculosis in the Birmingham region.

With the introduction of the National Health Service in Great Britain in 1948, the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board was formed with responsibility for diagnostic and treatment services for a population of almost four and a half million distributed over five administrative counties and ten county boroughs in the West Midland area of England. With regard to tuberculosis,, the Regional Hospital Board became responsible for specialist and hospital services, while prevention and after-care remained the responsibility of the fifteen local health authorities (the counties and county boroughs). The medical care of the patient at home was the responsibility of the third branch of the Service, the general practitioner. The object of this report is to review the changes that have occurred in all aspects of tuberculosis in the 10 years since the introduction of the National Health Service.