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The Home Nursing Service was provided under the same arrangements as in previous
years. The Essex County Council served the north of the Borough from the Lady Rayleigh
Training Home; the Silvertown and North Woolwich District Nursing Association covered
the narrow area to the south of the Docks. In between, the Council operated its own
directly administered service. The provision of offices in the Liverpool Road Day
Nursery premises has largely removed the handicap caused by the lack of adequate
accommodation, but the situation of these premises is unfortunately not sufficiently
central to meet the convenience of the public. This move made it possible to relieve
the staff of Plaistow Maternity Hospital of the responsibility of receiving and transmitting
messages, a task which they have carried out so willingly and efficiently for
many years.
Recruitment of full-time staff remains a major problem. Miss D. Miller, S.R.N.,
S.C.M., M.T.D., H.V., Q.N.S., took up her duties as Non-Medical Supervisor of Midwives
and Home Nurses on the 1st November, 1954. It is hoped that this new appointment
together with the provision of furnished flatlets for district nurses in the new Guinness
Trust Buildings, will attract suitable candidates to the area and encourage the long
awaited development of the service.
Although the summary of visits shows a decline in the number of actual cases
attended, the number of visits paid to each has risen. It is to the credit of the existing
staff that they have met all the demands on the service.

SECTION 26 - VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION.
GENERAL. Some changes of organisation were introduced during the year in the
interests of efficiency or reasonable economy of the service. It had been found in previous
years that a hasty interruption of immunisation on the appearance of poliomylitis had caused
serious disturbance to the service. Consequently, a policy had been adopted of planned
suspension during the summer months when poliomylitis is likely to be prevalent. In accordance
with this decision both immunisation and vaccination were suspended between 9th July and 5th
November, a total of 119 days. The date of resumption was the earliest on which it was Judged
to be safe in the light of the experience of the preceding weeks. In order to avoid any
misunderstanding or confusion, a circular letter was issued prior to the closure period to all
general practitioners in the area advising them of the policy of the local health authority,
and similar notice was given prior to the resumption of these services.
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