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Clinic Doctors
The establishment of doctors which was one short at the
commencement of the year was further depleted by the move of
Dr. Ware out of the area, a loss which was deeply felt by the
staff and all who benefitted from her advice.
The rest of the year saw a new doctor joining us and the
return in a part-time capacity of a doctor who had previously
been on the staff so that by the end of the year we were nearly
at full establishment of eight doctors.
During the months of June and July Dr. I. Nagpaul was
given leave by the Council to go to India to help with the medical
relief of the refugees from the war in East Pakistan.
Health Visitors and Clinic Nurses
The shortage of qualified health visiting staff continued
in 1971 and although working under this great handicap the
services were maintained to a very high standard. As well as the
work with mothers and children increasing, health visitors are
involved with the visiting of the elderly assisted in this by the
clinic nurses.
A total of 1,462 Child Health Clinics were held in the
year, giving advice and guidance to mothers and children,
increasingly the emphasis in these clinics has been to enlarge
on the developmental testing of babies especially with regard to
the early detection and assessment of handicap.
The number of cases visited in the home by health visitors
numbered 19,054. Every child born in the year (3,995) was visited
at least once and 16,616 children in the pre-school age group were
visited, added to which 1,023 elderly people were visited, as well
as other visits often at the special request of hospital or family
doctors.
This invaluable work is carried out under extreme pressure
but at all times they are persons turned to for help and can always
be relied upon both by staff and public alike.
Clinic nurses continue to provide invaluable support by
undertaking school nursing, immunisation sessions and some
visiting work.
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