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116
meetings of the Tuberculosis Care Committee and 336 individual cases
have been considered. 147 recommendations regarding assessment have
been submitted to the London County Council and 19 Dental cases have
been dealt with. In addition 66 "special cases"—that is, cases in which
some special form of advice or assistance is required—have been considered.
The Poplar Tuberculosis Fund for assisting persons suffering from
tuberculosis has been in full swing during 1928 and the Committee feel
more and more the advantage of having their own small fund to turn to in
urgent cases instead of having to apply to other sources. During the year
it has been possible to give some sort of help in 43 cases. The Fund is
particularly useful for assisting persons who cannot afford their own outfits
for sanatorium and who, at the same time, are not entitled to help from the
Guardians or from any other agency, and I think that we may say that,
thanks to the Fund, many refusals of vacancies at sanatoria have been
averted. Grants of clothes or boots have been made in 25 cases, and other
forms of assistance provided during the year have included payment of
part cost of dentures, provision of tools, payment of the cost of removal
of a family to Papworth, provision of bedding (in cases ineligible for loan
of bedding by the Council), payment of rent for period to enable a patient
to go away to sanatorium and retain a home to come back to, purchase of
an invalid chair to lend out etc. etc. The Poplar Tuberculosis Fund
publishes its own Annual Report giving full details of its activities,
together with the balance sheet, at the end of the financial year. Income
during the year was derived from contributions received from the Managements
of the Poplar Hippodrome and the Bow Electric Theatre, in respect
of Sunday Cinematograph Entertainments, from the proceeds of a
"Household and Jumble Sale" organised by the Committee in November,
and a Dramatic Entertainment given by the 23rd North London Boy
Scouts in March, and donations and contributions from kind friends.
The Care Committee are very grateful to all those who have assisted
the Fund.
In September, 1928, the Tuberculosis Care Committee organised a
Handicraft Class for ex-sanatorium men and women who, though fit for
light work, have not been successful in obtaining employment on their
discharge from treatment. The Class meets weekly at the Dispensary,
under a teacher provided by the London County Council, and is at present
learning fancy leather-work. The object is mainly occupational, but it is
possible for the workers to earn a little pocket-money by the sale of goods,
and we were successful in selling quite a number of articles just before
Christmas. The Class is much appreciated by those who have joined.