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One patient was referred to the Borough Council for dentures and on the
recommendation of the Committee the Council agreed to undertake the full cost.
Clothes for patients entering sanatoria have been obtained from various sources
—from the Charity Organisation Society in four cases and from the United Services
Fund, the Royal Scottish Corporation and the Swiss Benevolent Society in one
case each.
The Charity Organisation Society has also co-operated in other ways—in
arrangements for Homes in two cases, in the cost of removal in two cases, in the
cost of spectacles and in the payment of a National Health Insurance arrears
penalty.
The United Services Fund gave temporary financial assistance in one case.
One Italian widow was referred to the Italian Benevolent Society for advice regarding
the disposal of her late husband's business. Our thanks are due to the
representative of the British Bed Cross Society's Emergency Help Fund for advice
in the cases of several ex-Service men.
Several families have been advised regarding National Health Insurance
difficulties. Help has been given in the filling up of National Health Insurance,
Widows', and Old Age Pension Forms, and in many other trivial ways, impossible
to enumerate.
Three Holborn families have removed from London during the year—one to
Devonshire and two to the Watling Estate, Hendon, but our great difficulty is the
lack of proper housing accommodation for the families who for various reasons
cannot leave Central London.
Failure seems to pursue the efforts of a Tuberculosis Care Committee—failure
to find employment for the ex-sanatorium patient—failure to improve the housing
conditions of the incipient case and the ex-sanatorium case—failure to achieve
their aims.
In this last connection a typical case may be cited: —
Father died of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1924; mother in a chronic, somewhat advanced
stage of pulmonary tuberculosis, unable to work, living at home, under unsatisfactory
conditions, with five children—at least four of whom were delicate Two of the children are
earning. The third, who was due to leave school, showed a tendency to tuberculosis, but it
was thought the disease might be averted if she were placed in the country for some time.
She had expressed a desire to become a children's nurse, so, with her own and her mother's
consent—and with the co-operation of the Charity Organisation Society—arrangements were
made for her to enter a Training Home for Domestic Service at St. Albans. She seemed to settle
down quite happily in the Home, but, after a short time, she developed what was thought
to be tuberculous dactylitis. She agreed to go to Hospital for treatment, on condition that
she might return to the Home afterwards. Treatment was completed, and arrangements
made for her return to the Home. For some inexplicable reason, she flatly refused to return
to the Home, or to enter any branch of domestic service. She is now back in the old home,
under the old conditions from which it was hoped to rescue her. Efforts to obtain better
housing accommodation have also failed.
The Standing Conference of City and Metropolitan Borough Tuberculosis Care
Committees met in May and November. Representatives of the Holborn Tuberculosis
Care Committee were present on both occasions. At the meeting in November
the Holborn Committee submitted the two following resolutions : —