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84
reaching effects to the advantage of mothers and infants alike, and
recommended the Borough Council to make a contribution towards
the funds of the hospital in " necessitous cases," such term to mean,
and be applicable to, cases from the Hackney Borough in which the
patients might be unable to pay for treatment an amount equal to
one-half the cost to the hospital authorities (on the year's figures,
£3 9s. Id.), and that such contribution be one guinea in each case.
The Ministry of Health consented to the recommendation of
this Council, and an amount of £99 15s., representing 95 patients,
has been paid by this Council for necessitous cases treated at this
institution from 1st April, to 31st December, 1919.
(b) City of London Maternity Hospital, City Road.
The audited accounts foi the year ended 31st December, 1918,
showed an expenditure on maintenance and administration of
£7,881 13s. 6d., the number of beds available for patients, 61, and
the average number of patients resident for the year 50-16. The
expenditure for the year was £1,055 17s. Id. in excess of income.
During the year in question 123 Hackney in-patients were
admitted and treated, and from 1st January to 16th October, 1919,
the number was 68. The average cost of each in-patient during 1918
was £2 18s. 11d. Of those who make payment the majority pay
no more than 12s. 6d., a nominal amount payable by the mother
out of the maternity benefit of 30s. receivable under the National
Insurance Act, so that the hospital loses £2 6s. 5d. per case.
At this hospital it appears that patients are at liberty, but are
not required, to obtain subscriber's letters before admission, which
entitles them to free treatment ; these letters are intended for
bestowal upon deserving cases only. At the time the National
Insurance Act was passed, the Hospital Committee considered the
question of the fees to be charged where subscriber's letters were
not provided, and taking into consideration the fact that the