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18
That the Council pay the sum of one guinea in respect of each
necessitous case admitted from the Borough.
A necessitous case is defined as one who, by reason of poverty
or other causes, is unable to pay for the treatment received, an
amount equal to one-half the average cost per patient of the maintenance
and administration charges. Last year the cost per inpatient
was £8 16s. 5d.
During the year the Council paid the sum of £7 7s. in respect of
cases admitted to the Hospital under the above arrangement.
Home Helps.—A Home Help is a person competent to do
domestic work who goes into a home to do house work and cooking
and to take care of the children, when the mother is laid aside by a
confinement.
It must be understood that a Home Help does not perform the
duties of a District Nurse or Midwife ; and that her duties are limited
to domestic work and have nothing to do with the birth of the child.
A scheme for providing Home Helps was inaugurated.
The payment to be made was fixed at five shillings for an
eight hour day, exclusive of food, and the Home Helps on the
panel are under the supervision of the Medical Officer and the
Health Visitors. During the year two women of approved character
were entered on the panel. Their services were Utilised on two
occasions by necessitous cases, and the fees amounting to £5 were
paid by the Council.
Maternity Outfits.—Sterilised maternity outfits are supplied
free, or at cost price (according to the economic state of the
applicant) through the Welfare Centres to patients for whom either
the doctor or the midwife considers that this provision is desirable.
2 Outfits were supplied free at a cost of 17s. 8d