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Women Health Officers.— There are nine ladies appointed as women health officers. Seven
are engaged in the work of visiting mothers of the poorer classes and advising them in the care and
management of their infants, and in assisting with the work of the nine infant welfare centres.
They also devote a portion of their time to the inspection of factories and workshops where women
are employed, and in visiting cases of ophthalmia, enteritis, measles, whooping cough and consumption.
Two women health officers (Miss Hargrave and Miss Haycock) are employed on
in-door work at the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
Health Lecturer.—Mrs. Hayman commenced her duties as health lecturer in June, 1926.
She is a fully trained hospital nurse. Her office is a part-time one occupying approximately five
half-days a week.
Clerical Staff.—In addition to Mr. J. H. Wilson, the chief clerk of the Department, there are
eight clerks, one of whom is attached to the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
Other Staff.—There are :—
(a) Five disinfectors. including a man who acts as engineer.
(b) A mortuary keeper.
(c) Two sanitary labourers who assist in drain testing.
(d) A superintendent and matron of the Medicinal Baths.
(e) A rat officer.
(f) A caretaker and wife at the Tuberculosis Dispensary.
Particulars of the staff, as required by the Ministry of Health Circular No. 359, appear in
Table VII of Appendix III.
PROFESSIONAL NURSING IN THE HOME.
The Borough is fortunate in having within its boundaries an excellent District Nursing
Association which employs a superintendent and twelve nurses to carry out nursing in the
homes of the poor. The number of cases nursed during 1930 was 2,096 and the number of visits
paid, 38,983.
By an agreement between the Council and the Association, nurses of the latter body undertake,
when requested by the Medical Officer of Health, the home nursing of measles, german measles,
whooping cough, zymotic enteritis, tuberculosis and any other disease for which nursing
assistance is required. In addition, the Association retain a trained nurse who is also a
qualified midwife and who is available for the nursing of certain maternity and ophthalmia cases
in which it is inadvisable, from the point of view of the spread of infection, for the usual midwife,
to continue in attendance.
The nurses carry out their work with enthusiasm and ability, and those doctors who are called
upon to attend the poor in the borough appreciate very much the splendid assistance they get
from these trained women. They are always willing to attend at any time they are called upon
and throughout the whole year the officers of the Public Health Department have not had one
case where a request for nursing assistance has not been met promptly, even in times of pressure
The very important part the nurses take in connection with the Council's schemes for the
treatment of ophthalmia neonatorum and zymotic enteritis is referred to on pages 70 and 72 of
this report.