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60
During the year five midwives retired and we have engaged
three new midwives. All but two of our midwives are now car
drivers and the two new midwives are taking their driving tests
in the near future.
We now have four midwives working in ante-natal clinics in
general practitioners' surgeries and two general practitioners work
with midwives in the Borough ante-natal clinics.

Health visiting service
This year all the health visitors have continued to concentrate
their efforts on essential health visiting duties. As far as possible
other work has been taken over by less highly-trained staff and
auxiliaries. There have been unfilled staff vacancies throughout the
year and this has produced a very heavy case-load on the staff in
some areas. The four health visitor students we sponsored in
September, 1967, all qualified and joined the staff in September,
1968. We were fortunate in being able to sponsor ten students in
September, 1968, and we look forward to having them on the staff
next year. In the meantime, the acute shortage of health visitors
continues.
All the babies born during the year to mothers resident in
Wandsworth were visited within about fourteen days of birth. In
addition, all families with children under five years of age
known to have moved into the Borough were visited. The frequent
moves of some families make follow-up difficult but every effort
is made to trace families who may need help.
Although the basis of the health visitor's work is still home
visiting, the pattern of work appears to be changing. There
has been a slight but steady decline in the number of home visits
paid over the last four years which was not fully accounted for by
the decline in the birth rate.
After the initial visit to a family many mothers contact the health
visitor by telephone when they need help and an increasing number
of parents call in at the health visitors' offices. The large number of
unsuccessful visits recorded (11,537) is somewhat misleading as in
many cases a letter is left by the health visitor inviting the parents
to contact her by telephone or to call at her office. With so many
mothers working either part-time or full-time, interviews in the
office are now an important part of the health visitor's work and
provide a better service to the public. This has naturally led to a
drop in the number of home visits paid but not in the total amount