View report page

each of them have close contact with one quarter of the staff they have dealt with problems as they arise as well
as generally improving communications. Their function has been particularly helpful in supporting new and
inexperienced members of staff. This is relevant to the present situation, whereby the School Nursing
workforce is mainly composed of young married women whose length of service will probably be limited.
The amount of travelling time spent by each School Nurse was cut down because the geographical areas
they serviced were reorganised during 1972. In addition, the number of minor ailment clinics held in the
Borough was reduced in September, following the trends in other authorities, thus allowing better use of the
School Nurses' time.
Home Nursing
1972 made very heavy demands upon the District Nursing Sisters, partly because of the early discharge
policy undertaken by most hospitals, which caused an increase in each case load. This resulted in staff being
unable to give as much time and attention to patients as they would have wished.
Again, more hospital staff, medical students, dieticians and psychiatric nurses have accompanied the
District Nursing Sisters on their rounds and it is pleasing that these visitors have felt the experience was most
worthwhile, indeed many expressed the wish to return at a later date.
In order to further mutual understanding of nursing problems, whether in hospital or in the community, an
exchange visit was arranged with nursing staff from the Charing Cross Hospital Group. These nurses spent a
week with the Borough's District Nursing Sisters visiting patients at home, gaining insight into the many
difficulties posed by nursing the sick at home.
The District Sisters then spent a week in turn with their hospital colleagues, to keep abreast of modern
therapeutic techniques, enabling them to give appropriate care to patients on their discharge to the
community.
The Department now provides practical experience for students undertaking the four year integrated
SRN/Health Visiting/ District Nursing course at Hammersmith Hospital, Surrey University and Chiswick
Polytechnic. These students seem to thoroughly enjoy the experience gained in the Borough, and have taken a
keen interest in involving some of the District Sisters in group discussions with their Tutors on return to
hospital.
The extended nursing service at night continues to give extra care to those who are very ill, but again, the
demand for this service is growing, necessitating the careful assessment of requests before extra visits are
arranged.
Special nursing equipment is loaned to patients at home and this is arranged by the District Nursing Sisters.
Altogether, 1972 was a very busy but progressive year for the District Nursing Service.

Total visits, including baths = 146,794.
C I 2