Arrangements for granting special rations and priority allowances to invalids and persons on special diets / Rationing and Welfare Foods Division, Ministry of Food.

  • Great Britain. Ministry of Food
Date:
1950
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Arrangements for granting special rations and priority allowances to invalids and persons on special diets / Rationing and Welfare Foods Division, Ministry of Food. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    MINISTRY OF FOOD ed for the information of medical practitioners only. Not to be divulged to the public. Collections EMENTS FOR GRANTING SPECIAL S AND PRIORITY ALLOWANCES TO INVALIDS AND PERSONS ON SPECIAL DIETS Much as the Ministry of Food would like to allow extra foods to invalids on humanitarian grounds, it cannot do so in general while rationing continues. Extra foods can, therefore, with rare exceptions, only be provided when they are essential for the treatment of a particular illness. The first part of this memorandum sets out the conditions for which the Ministry’s medical advisers, the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee of the Medical Research Council, _ have made a general recommendation for additional allowances of rationed foods ; applications can Only be considered if the conditions are fulfilled as requested. The Committee have, however, expressed their willingness to advise on applications on other grounds in exceptional circumstances, but such cases can only be considered if they are supported by a detailed medical statement giving full particulars of the case and the special reasons why the extra rations are requested. Such information is strictly confidential and will be forwarded to Headquarters for medical consideration. The second part of the memorandum sets out the special allowances made to expectant mothers, mothers of babies under twelve months, infants and children, as agreed by the Standing Inter-departmental Committee on Medical and Nutritional Problems. NOTES : |. This document revises MED. 2 (Revised 1948) and similar schedules previously issued. 2. The general form of medical certificates (R.G.50) for use when applying for extra rations is applicable to most diseases and can be obtained from any local food office by or on behalf of any registered medical practitioner. For certain illnesses, however, a written statement from the doctor is required. . 3. When certifying on R.G.50 certificates, the name of the disease from which the patient is suffering can usually be shown by the code number which appears against that disease in this memorandum. Any information given on these forms and statements will be regarded as confidential. 4. The name and address of the patient and the date must be entered at the time of signing. 5. Certificates for expectant mothers may be signed by a registered medical practitioner, certified midwife, or health visitor. The estimated date of confinement must be given. The certificate will be valid for a period of four months, renewable for a further period on presentation of another certificate. 6. The Advisory Committee have expressed the opinion that additional allowances of tea, cream, and chocolate or sweets, are not necessary for the treatment of any complaint, and no applications for additional supplies of these commodities can be considered ; nor will additional supplies of meat be granted for the purpose of making beef tea. 7. The Committee do not recommend that supplies of white flour be made available to any type of invalid in place of National Flour. The medical profession’s attention is drawn to the fact that the roughage content of this flour is extremely low. 8. The allowances shewn in the jirst part of the following table in all cases include the non-priority allowance. They are maximum allowances and smaller amounts can be prescribed. 9. The Committee has advised the Ministry that a patient suffering from several diseases each of which qualifies him for extra rations should receive the maximum allowance of each foodstuff for any disease, but should not receive a double allowance of any one foodstuff on account of two diseases. The same considerations apply to a pregnant woman who also suffers from a disease qualifying for extra rations. i0. The information given in the following table may vary from time to time. Notification of changes will appear in the medical press. ll. Copies of this document may be obtained by registered medical practitioners on application to local food offices.