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76
The supply of equipment on loan to patients being nursed at home was undertaken
on the Council's behalf by the medical loan depots maintained by the British Red Cross
Society and (for their own patients) by the district nursing organisations. Financial
assistance was given to these organisations to enable them to deal with the increasing
number of applications received for a wide range of nursing equipment. Since difficulty
has been experienced in purchasing and storing large and expensive items of equipment
and in replenishing stocks when articles are on loan for long periods, the Council
arranged to supply all loan equipment for tuberculous patients and large articles to all
patients. A deposit and a small charge, varying from 3d. to 1s. a week were required
from those who could afford to pay.
The Council provided cars on loan to those organisations who required them but
who were unable to purchase them from their own resources. The Council licensed,
insured and periodically overhauled the vehicles, but running costs were borne by the
organisations and ranked for grant from the Council. At the end of the year 15 cars were
being operated under this arrangement.
Every district nursing home was visited during the year by one of the Council's
principal medical officers and the Chief Nursing Officer to ascertain the extent of need
for improvements in (i) the nurses' homes, (ii) the service and (iii) administration. A
number of recommendations for the improved use of accommodation were adopted,
involving the installation of additional washbasins, cupboards, airing racks and improved
hot water supplies. Suggestions were also made for improving methods of record
keeping and for the simplification and reduction of clerical work. Consideration is
being given to the question of' staffing standards' for the home nursing service.
DOMESTIC HELP SERVICE

Of all the cases assisted during the year, 75 per cent. were aged and chronic sick,
6 per cent. were maternity, 4 per cent. tuberculous; 15 per cent. were assisted for other
reasons.
The very high proportion of aged and chronic sick assisted, to whom service has
often to be supplied for several years, accounts for the substantial ' hard core ' of cases
remaining on the books at the end of each quarter. This' hard core ' is steadily increasing
as the following figures show :
On the books at the end of 1949 .. 7,833
1950 10,282
1951 12,177
1952 15,015
1953 17,166
This increase is the combined effect of many factors, including the growing proportion
of aged persons in the population, the unwillingness of some relatives to assist if official
help is available, the housing position which makes it difficult for aged parents to be