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115
influenza epidemic; admission of some cases to long stay hospitals;
the death of several long-term chronically sick and disabled
patients, some of whom had been nursed at home for many years
and had been in receipt of two or more visits daily. Three
patients were visited twice daily by two nurses. Patients admitted
to hospital from the district nursing service increased by 115.
During the year 5 more general practitioner/district nursing
schemes were commenced and at 31st December, 1970, there were
48 general practitioners and 20 district nursing staff involved in
liaison arrangements. Of the 3,101 new cases referred by general
practitioners, 74% or 2,292 (58% or 1,672 in 1969) were from the
48 doctors forming part of this scheme.
Districts were increased by 6 to 50 with 3 of the larger grouppractice
areas requiring 2 district nurses. Case loads remained
fairly constant, somewhat higher in the regions covered by the
"scheme" than in the geographical areas. Visits per full-time staff
averaged 3,066.