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Financially, the scheme is sound, as the plan of allowing
patients to pay regular small sums for their materials and completing
payment before the next article is commenced, works very
smoothly on the whole. In all, payments of £41 18s. Od. were
received during the year.
TUBERCULOSIS AFTER-CARE FOR 1950,
Report of After-Care Almoner (Miss Bridger).
Arrangements were basically the same as in 1949, statutory
and voluntary services working in conjunction with each other.
Special grants continued to be paid through the National
Assistance Board to patients who had lost income in order to
undergo treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis. On December
31st, 1949, there were 133 patients in receipt of these grants which
are arranged through co-operation between myself and the N.A.B.
During 1950, 181 new cases were referred and 128 cases ceased
to need assistance, leaving a total of 186 receiving the allowances
at December 31st, 1950. Of the cases ceasing to receive these
grants, 12 died, 50 returned to work, 42 were no longer in need
of assistance on admission to hospital, and 24 were either awarded
pensions or left the district. In addition to these regular weekly
allowances, special grants to cover unforeseen needs were obtained
in 78 cases. These were mainly to enable relatives to visit patients
in distant sanatoria, to help patients and their families with clothing
or with removal expenses when they were re-housed. In
addition, towards the end of the year the new system of referring
patients to the N.A.B. for authority to pav fares for their admission
to hospital from their homes came into force, and has meant
additional contact with the Board.
Assistance in kind continued to be given bv the After-Care
Committee in the form of the loan of beds and bedding to 23
patients. This is particularly valuable in so far as it enables the
patient to begin treatment immediately with a measure of isolation,
and minimises the risk of infection on his return from Sanatorium.
Free milk has also been supplied through the Council's
Scheme to those patients whose incomes fall below a certain level.
Voluntary agencies have continued their much valued
co-operation in supplementing statutory relief. Over £100 was
raised from voluntary sources, such as ex-Service funds, British