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The Committee were able to arrange for temporary financial
assistance to be granted to the man and his wife and for extra
nourishment to be granted to the patient. He was also provided
with suitable clothing to enable him to go away.
L.L., aged 32. This case was referred to the Dispensary from
one of the London Hospitals where the woman had been attending
as an out-patient. She was suffering from tuberculosis and had
been recommended for institutional treatment. The family, consisting
of the man and wife and two children, had a very good
standard, but were in difficulties owing to the husband having
been unemployed for a period of five months. Their only income
had been derived from Labour Exchange benefit, and after rent
and insurances had been deducted they had an income of 11s. 6d.
per week to live on. The patient's clothing was very worn and
inadequate, and the children's shoes had entirely given out. The
husband had been an officer's steward during the Great War, and
he was advised to make an application to the Royal Naval Benevolent
Trust. His application was successful, and financial assistance
was granted for a time. The Committee were able to give the patient
a grant for extra nourishment whilst she was waiting to go away, to
provide her with suitable clothing and new shoes for the children,
and they kept in constant touch with the family during the patient's
absence.
F.B., aged 27. A single man, usually living at home, was
admitted to St. Luke's Hospital at Lowestoft for treatment for
surgical tuberculosis. He had been away for a period of ten months,
and his mother had been unable to see him as she could not afford
to pay her fare as her husband had been out of work for a considerable
time, and she had three dependent children. The patient
had been a deposit contributor to National Health Insurance, and
having exhausted his benefit had no income whatever.
The Committee, after full consideration of the case, agreed to
grant the mother's railway fare and incidental expenses to enable
her to visit her son.
T.C., aged 37. This man, who was suffering from tuberculosis,
had been unable to work for some years and his only income was
derived from National Health Disablement Benefit. He was
informed at the beginning of the year that he would not be eligible
for further benefit as he was sixteen stamps short for the contribution
year on which his benefit was calculated. His Approved
Society agreed to allow him to make up the arrears, but he was
unable to meet the cost of the stamps as his wife was only able to
obtain part-time work and his daughter had only just started work
after leaving school.
The Committee arranged to loan the amount to the patient
and they obtained the necessary stamps and re-established his
claim to benefit. The patient repaid by regular weekly instalments
a quarter of the amount involved, and the Committee paid the
balance.