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73
We always hope that these families will eventually become selfsufficient
and this has appeared to be the case with four families
who are no longer under close supervision. Two other families
were rehoused outside Wandsworth.
During the autumn an increase in staff made it possible to
extend this branch of the work and 27 families were under
supervision at the end of 1969 compared with 15 in December,
1968. Many of the families have a low income and large debts
so that the immediate task is to ensure that the rent and lighting
and heating bills are paid. This often has to take precedence over
problems of marriage disputes, the inadequacy of the parents, or
parents' lack of understanding of their children's needs.
The six social workers all possess a basic training in social work.
Two are professionally qualified with the welcome addition in
August of the Deputy Principal Social Worker who returned from
secondment to the Medical Social Workers' Course.
Chest clinics
There are in the Borough three Chest Clinics, namely, the Wandsworth
Chest Clinic situated in the Municipal Buildings, the
Battersea Chest Clinic at St. John's Hospital and the Balham Chest
Clinic at St. James' Hospital. The Wandsworth and Battersea
Chest Clinics draw their patients mainly from the Borough but
the Balham Chest Clinic draws patients also from the adjoining
London Borough of Lambeth.
Statistics relating to tuberculosis will be found in Part 2 of this
report.
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 now re-named Battersea Chest Clinic Care
Committee and the Wandsworth Tuberculosis Care Committee
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.