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persons receiving treatment for tuberculosis in L.C.C. general hospitals,
such cases having been brought under the tuberculosis scheme as from
1st April. This change-over has considerably increased the assessment
work of the Poplar Tuberculosis Care Committee. So far there has been
no noticeable difference in the policy of the L.C.C. with regard to the
acceptance of the Care Committee's recommendations and the change
has, on the whole, proved advantageous, in that all tuberculosis assessments
are now dealt with, in the first place, by the Tuberculosis Care
Committee. 245 recommendations regarding assessment for institutional
treatment were made during 1933, as against 171 in 1932. This figure is
not an indication of the number of persons admitted to institutions for
treatment of tuberculosis, as there are still a number of cases (e.g.,
insured heads of families, or persons with no income but sickness benefit)
which are passed as non-assessable without the Home Inquiry Form being
brought before the Care Committee. In cases where payment is made the
Tuberculosis Care Committee has been responsible for the collection of
contributions for the L.C.C. In addition to the cases considered by the
Care Committee primarily in connection with assessment, 125 other cases
have been dealt with, and the Committee has endeavoured to supply such
help or advice as has been required. Many of these have been referred
to the Poplar Tuberculosis Fund, or to some other agency, for practical
assistance.
The Committee of the Poplar Tuberculosis Fund has met 18 times
during the year and 145 grants have been made to needy patients. Of
these, 82 were in the form of clothing and boots, 27 for expenses of
relatives visiting patients in sanatorium, and 10 for dentures, glasses or
surgical appliances. Other assistance given by the Fund has included
the provision of convalescent holidays, payment of laundry expenses for
women patients unfit to do this work themselves, cost of removal to
improved housing conditions, provision of pocket money for penniless
people away in sanatorium, payment of insurance arrears to entitle
patients to benefit, etc., etc. In the early part of the year the Committee
of the Poplar Tuberculosis Fund, feeling that its scope was somewhat
restricted by adherence to the ten specific objects of the fund approved
by the L.C.C. at the time of the formation of the Charity, submitted the
following omnibus clause to the L.C.C., by which it was approved:—
"'To assist, in certain specific cases approved by the Tuberculosis
Officer, patients and/or their families in ways which are not specifically
mentioned in the preceding ten clauses, provided that the