London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kensington 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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Home Helps
The scheme for the provision of home helps for mothers
during confinement, which has been in operation since 1920, was
continued. Home helps were supplied in 197 cases at a gross cost
of £1125. 4s. 2d. Contributions by applicants towards the cost
of help provided amounted to £400. 10s. 4d.
Domestic Helps
The Council's scheme, under Defence Regulation 68E, for the
provision of domestic help to sick or infirm persons continued in
operation during the year up to 4th July. The principal functions
of the Council were:-
(a) to appoint and maintain a register of domestic
helpers available for work at any time, and to
arrange for their payment;
(b) to determine who are the most urgent of the
applicants for help; and
(c) to assess what part of the cost of the help
provided should be recovered from each household
and to secure its payment.
This service has grown enormously since its inception in 1945 and the following is a summary of the action taken between 1st January and 4th July, 1948, compared with the figures for the previous twelve months:-
| 1948 (part only) | 1947 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applications | ||
| New applications received | 247 | 340 |
| Refused as unsuitable for help | 2 | 4 |
| Withdrawn by applicants | 14 | 37 |
| Number in which help was given | 231 | 299 |
| Reasons for giving help | ||
| Chronic illness in aged persons | 56 | 54 |
| Other chronic invalids | 29 | 47 |
| Acute illness, accidents, etc | 87 | 91 |
| Before admission to, or after | ||
| discharge from hospitals | 32 | 50 |
| Debilitated housewives | 27 | 57 |
| Period for which help given | ||
| One week or less | 26 | 48 |
| One to two weeks | 56 | 64 |
| Two to four weeks | 109 | 109 |
| Over four weeks | 40 | 78 |
| Costs | ||
| Full cost paid by applicants | 69 | 95 |
| Part cost paid by applicants | 79 | 89 |
| Pull cost paid by Council | 83 | 115 |
| Total contributions by applicants £386. 17s. 5d. £503. 2s. 1d. Gross cost to Council £3,559. 9s. 1d.£3,352.12s. 1d. (the net costs were reimbursable by the Government). | ||