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her to get the right psychological approach to her confinement. With this
end in view the mothercraft classes teach simple breathing exercises, relaxation,
and the use of the gas and air apparatus, all of which contribute
to the relief of pain.
Co-operation with other branches of the health service is good, especially
with the general practitioners and the ambulance service. There is a
free interchange of information between the midwives and health visitors.
The following table shows details of the cases attended by the Area
domiciliary midwives:-

HEALTH VISITING (SECTION 24)
The health visitor/school nurse is the all-purpose medico-social worker
who visits the family in health and sickness but her main duty is to advise
and help all persons on her district to promote and maintain good health, to
prevent mental and physical disorders and anxieties which often precede
breakdown, She plays a useful part in after-care by visiting the home prior
to a patient's return from hospital (when this is known) to make arrangements
for reception and home-care. Her work in advising parents on the feeding
and care of children in Infant Welfare Centres is well known as are her duties
in the ante-natal clinics and school health service.
The health visitor as the family confidante visits all the homes on her
district and this is still the most important part of her work,
ractical training of health visitor students in home visiting, duties in
the Centres health education writing of reports, maintenance of records, has
been given to students from Middlesex, Battersea Polytechnic and the Royal
College of Nursing, The shortage of health visiting staff and the increasing
demand for her services is a matter of some concern and on this account more
selective visiting has taken the place of routine visiting and other measures
have been taken to relieve the health visitor of some clerical work. Some
school nursing duties have also been delegated to school and clinic nurses.