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Report of the Secretary to the Tuberculosis Care Committee.
The Poplar Tuberculosis Care Committee continues to meet monthly
at the Dispensary to deal with matters affecting the general welfare of
persons suffering from tuberculosis. In June, 1936, the London County
Council's Revised Scheme for the Treatment of Tuberculosis and their
circular for the guidance of Care Committees—"Social Service in connection
with Tuberculosis"—were submitted to the Public Health
Committee, who directed that the work of the Care Committee should be
carried on as hitherto.
There were 11 meetings of the Tuberculosis Care Committee during
1936 and 208 individual cases were dealt with. Of these, 159 were in
need of some kind of practical assistance, and this was provided in 136
cases by the Care Committee's voluntary fund, the Poplar Tuberculosis
Fund. The remaining 23 cases were referred to other agencies, which
included the Public Assistance Committee, the British Legion and United
Services Fund, and the Red Cross Society. Grants have also been
obtained from the Hospital Sunday Fund and Society for Relief of Distress
in cases in which dentures, etc., have been required. Twenty cases have
been referred to the London County Council for the provision of clothing
for sanatorium during the year.
The Committee of the Poplar Tuberculosis Fund has met 11 times
and the Fund has provided 70 needy patients with clothing and boots.
Fares have been paid for relatives to visit patients away in sanatoria
on 21 occasions, and 18 destitute persons in hospitals or sanatoria have
been given small pocket-money allowances. Other assistance given by
the Fund has included the provision of dentures, spectacles and surgical
appliances, payment of arrears of rent and removal expenses to enable
patients to obtain better housing accommodation, payment of laundry
expenses for women patients unfit to do this kind of work themselves,
etc.