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In maternity cases refusal to supply home help because of inability was rare and
though there was an excess of applications over periods of service this was due to the
large number of cases where the application was not proceeded with owing to the
applicant either obtaining alternative assistance or being removed to hospital for
the confinement. It will be seen that in non-maternity cases the number of applications
exceeded the number of households completely assisted during the year, and
in fact about 3,500 applications had to be refused owing to inability to supply home
helps.
In maternity cases the service is normally provided for two 44-hour weeks and
in other cases the average number of hours per week is 6 continued over an
average period of 25 weeks. It should, of course, be borne in mind that these
general cases include illnesses covering a wide range of short and long duration, and
in calculating the average very short illnesses help to offset the very long. The
average, though of value in indicating the length of assistance given, does not
reveal what is a fact underlying the problem of chronic sickness in the aged,
namely that many of these households receive continuous service for periods
considerably above 25 weeks.
The home helps are paid at the rate of 2s. 6d. (male) or 2s. lfd. (female) per
hour, with the addition of Id. an hour where the home help has obtained the
certificate of the National Institute of Houseworkers Ltd. The standard rate for
the service is the average cost (including supervisory charges), i.e. 2s. 6d. an hour.
Where the recipient of the service is unable to meet the full cost the charge is abated
in accordance with a scale suggested by a panel of financial advisers and approved
by the Ministry of Health (circular 100/48). Assessments are made by the divisional
staff and are based on the total income from all sources, offset by necessary weekly
expenses. Of the resulting amount deemed to be available to meet the cost only a
proportion is charged and a reduction is made after three weeks. The cost of the
service has risen steeply from £140,000 in 1947-48 to a present figure of about
£380,000 a year. Payment by householders for the service amounts to about £46,000.
Verification of the income stated on the form of application for abatement was
made in a number of cases and the result demonstrated that many applicants were
giving incorrect information. The investigation has been extended to 10 per cent,
of the cases and the result, which will be more fully reported next year, confirms
the original impression.
Finance
IMMUNISATION AND VACCINATION
Diphtheria Immunisation
Special diphtheria immunisation sessions at infant welfare centres continued
and, in addition, immunisation, when necessary, was given during normal infant
welfare sessions without special appointment.
The number of cases of diphtheria reported from day schools and from the
Council's residential establishments for children in London was lower than in the
year 1948. The attention of teaching staff and of superintendents of homes for
children is from time to time drawn to the importance of urging the parents of
children to consent to diphtheria immunisation in order to maintain a high level of
Welfare
centres
Day schools
and
residential
establishments
for
children in
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