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There is close liaison between the Chest Clinics and the staff of
the Health Department and periodic meetings are held between
the three Chest Physicians and the Health Department medical
staff. The welfare officers, tuberculosis visitors and clerical assistants
concerned with the after-care of tuberculous patients are
seconded from the Health Department so that there are close links
at all levels.
Additional benefits are provided for chest clinic patients through
the agencies of the Battersea and Wandsworth Tuberculosis Care
Committees and I have pleasure in appending reports of the
activities of these two Committees during the year. I should like
to place on record my appreciation of the excellent work they have
undertaken during the year on behalf of their patients.
BATTERSEA TUBERCULOSIS CARE COMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1968
In presenting our Report for the year 1968, it is with regret that
me must note the resignation on retirement of our Honorary
Treasurer, Mr. C. C. Hinge. We thank Mr. Hinge for his services
to the Committee and wish him a very happy retirement. We are
pleased to welcome Mr. F. T. Haynes, successor as Borough
Treasurer to Mr. Hinge, who has agreed to follow his predecessor
as Treasurer of our Committee.
The Committee has continued to meet at monthly intervals and
our thanks go to the Battersea, Putney and Tooting Group Hospital
Management Committee for providing us with facilities for
our meetings. The work has continued as before to provide
financial and material support to patients. In particular, we have
worked to alleviate some of the worries affecting the older members
of the community living on reduced incomes. Clothing has
been our largest item of expenditure. Statutory allowances, good
as they are, allow little margin for saving for clothing. Our patients
must be warmly clad, and we feel that this form of help is of the
utmost importance. In addition, we have made grants towards
household items such as curtaining in cases where patients have
been re-housed. We have also helped with grants towards the cost
of holidays and with pocket money for holidays in certain cases.
Queen Mary's London Needlework Guild has once again sent us
a parcel of new garments for our needy patients. We are indeed
grateful for this gift which is particularly valuable in emergencies.
Our thanks go to members of the Battersea Park Rotary Club and
our other friends who have helped in great measure with their
gifts of second-hand clothing.
At Christmas we disbursed £75 in cash to out-patients, while
patients spending Christmas in the chest ward in St. John's Hospital
also received cash gifts. Once again the Evening News "Toy for