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7
THE CARE OF ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN.
The Ministry of Health issued Circular 2866 dealing with this matter on October 1st, 1943, and a revised
edition on November 16th, 1943. A report on the subject appears in Appendix A. The Council consider that
the establishment of a hostel is desirable and endeavours are being made to secure suitable' premises.
NURSING HOMES.
No new homes were registered in 1944.
The total number of homes on the register at the end of 1944 was 6, providing accommodation for 4 maternity
patients and 31 other patients.
AGED AND INFIRM PERSONS.
The suitable care of aged and infirm persons was reported on in last year's Annual Report. The problem
continues to cause concern. A number of such persons have come to notice during the year and so far there is
no satisfactory way of dealing with them.
SOCIAL PROBLEMS GENERALLY.
From year to year it becomes increasingly evident that associated with a Health Service the following provisions
are required if it is to be really effective :—
(1) Arrangements for a system of domestic help for those incapacitated or hard pressed.
(2) Arrangements for a system of domestic help and personal care for the aged in their own homes.
(3) Establishment of suitably-designed and fitted houses and flats where the aged could be accommodated
if it were necessary to remove them from their own homes.
(4) Establishment of homes or hostels for short whole-time stays of children in illness of mother and in the
case of certain foster children, and for short or long stays of certain illegitimate children with or without
their mothers. These might also be available for elderly people for short stays whilst their own homes
are being cleaned or redecorated.
(5) System of boarding children out with suitable foster mothers in certain cases.
(6) Arrangements for sending certain children to permanent or long-stay homes.
(7) The work of approving families who wish to adopt children and of supervising "adopted" children
not legally adopted under the Adoption of Children Act, 1926, to be the duty of the Health Authority.
(8) Arrangements for the suitable disposition of tuberculous patients. Infectious cases of tuberculosis should
be in a suitable institution or colony. Non-infectious tuberculous patients and their families should be
enabled to have suitable housing accommodation and living conditions, suitable work and working
conditions, and extra domestic help as necessary.
(9) Arrangements for providing or securing appropriate housing for various types of patients, such as heart
cases or large families.
(10) Provision of day nurseries where children under 3 years of age could be left for a few hours to enable
their mothers to do their shopping or get some rest or recreation. Children 3 to 5 years should be
provided for by the Education Department in nursery schools or classes.
(11) Arrangements for securing suitable work and working conditions for certain cases. The Health
Department should be in touch with choice of employment officers, labour exchanges and employers,
and with industrial welfare officers.
Applications for such help of the nature indicated above should be made to the Health Department, which
should have a bureau in which all such organizations are listed. Although these organizations are numerous, it is
sometimes difficult to secure the necessary help in a number of cases. The bureau would be the means by which the
gaps in these social services are brought to light, and it should be a recognized duty of the health authority to see that
complete provisions for social help are available. All cases requiring such help would be investigated and the appropriate
action taken by the Health Department, so that overlapping and confusion would be avoided. Health Visitors are the
most suitable officers for inquiries. It is through them that a large number of social difficulties are revealed. They
visit the homes to see that the doctor's instructions are understood and are being carried out, they establish good
relations with the families so that they come to be regarded as friends and receive the confidences of their people as to
the social circumstances which may be militating against health. It is their duty to help and advise in any way they
can. Reports on visits in connection with social circumstances would be referred to the bureau for action and to the
family doctor for his information, so that in the light of the knowledge of the home conditions the doctor may be able
to assess their influence on any deviations from health which the family may show.
DOMESTIC HELP.
On December 14th, 1944, the Ministry of Health issued Circular 179/44 relative to Domestic Help, enclosing
therewith copy of a Defence Regulation which had been made to empower Local Authorities to provide domestic
help where necessary and not only in maternity and child welfare cases as previously. Considerable publicity was
given to this measure in the Press and on the wireless. As in the present circumstances there is no domestic help
available, the only practical result has been that the Health Department has been inundated with applications for
domestic staff, most of which would normally have been made to domestic agencies and Labour Exchanges.