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given is due to the fact that at the end of 1937 the committee decided to give fares
for relatives to visit patients once in six weeks instead of once in three months.
With this exception the committee's work has followed the lines of previous
years, endeavouring to find the happiest solution possible to each of the many
problems which may be raised when tuberculosis appears in a family. The patient
who is going away for treatment is more content when adequate and suitable clothing
has been found for him and when he can feel that the welfare of his dependents will
be looked after.
A large proportion of the patients and their families are receiving help from the
Public Assistance Committee and the Unemployment Assistance Board. To these
cases financial assistance is rarely given but they are watched and, if it is felt that the
help given is not sufficient, the committee seek to ensure that the special requirements
arising from the existence of tuberculosis are realised. This, indeed, is one of the most
important aspects of the committee's work ; a specialised knowledge of the difficulties
of the tuberculous patient and his family is known and, as far as is possible,
their peculiar needs are met.
One of the problems of this kind which remains unsolved is that of the hospital
or sanatorium patient who is without sickness benefit and whose family is in receipt
of relief. If the patient gets sickness benefit, part of it is allowed to him for his special
needs, but if he gets no benefit the relief given to the family is the same as it would be
if he did not exist. Consequently the family has to visit him, write to him, send him
stamps, pocket-money and parcels from the money which is allowed to themselvesThe
Care Committee feel that, in an illness of the length and nature of tuberculosis,
a small allowance should be made for the patient even though he is away from home.
The committee have a few patients without relatives, without sickness benefit or
income of any kind, to whom they send a little pocket-money each week. Since this
has been done patients in these circumstances have remained at sanatoria more
contentedly until their discharge.
Some patients do not get sickness benefit because they are in arrears with their
national health insurance contributions. Where possible the committee have paid
these arrears and the patient has reaped the benefit of a small income each week.
In three cases this year it has been possible to help young people who have joined an
Approved Society but who have fallen ill before they have paid for the requisite
two years' contributions ; the contributions have been paid and increased benefit
has resulted.