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Home Helps.
Facilities have for many years been provided by the Council in
suitable cases for assistance in the home during the mother's lying-in
period or in the case of temporary illness of an expectant or nursing
mother. This service has been extended so that domestic help can be
given in cases of old age, infirmity or illness where considered necessary.
In view of the difficulties in securing sufficient help to meet the
demand and to ensure adequate supervision the Council appointed a
Home Help Organiser, who took up duties in March, 1947. The
Home and Domestic Helps who are engaged on a part-time and casual
basis are paid at rates laid down by the Joint Industrial Council and
the patients are assessed to pay a proportion of the cost in accordance
with their means.
During the year Home Helps were engaged on 98 cases, the net
cost to the Council amounting to £566 8s. 5d.
So far as the Domestic Helps are concerned 79 cases were attended,
the cost for which amounted to £2,414 18s. 7d., and the contributions
from the patients amounted to £279 5s. 7d. The net cost of this
service is the subject of reimbursement by the Ministry of Health.
St. Thomas's Babies' Hostel.
Since 1926 cases have been sent from the Borough Maternity and
Child Welfare clinics to this Hostel for the encouragement of breast
feeding.
The result of this work during 1947 is as follows :—
Test Feeds. Number of cases, 81. Number of attendances,
147.
In-Patient Treatment. Battersea cases received —
9 mothers and 16 babies.