View report page

106
has brought benefits not only to the nursing staff but also to their
patients and, in particular, links with general practitioners, hospitals,
chest clinics, geriatric visitors, etc., have been substantially strengthened.
Each of the 40 districts into which the Borough is divided for
nursing purposes carries an average case load of 30 and the District
Nursing Sister maintains a monthly mean of 360 visits. There has
been little change in the kind of services demanded although the
actual number of patients visited rose by approximately 53% to
4,022, the increase being mainly in the 'over 65 years' group. This
group, which comprised 63.1% of the total of all patients visited
during 1966, was responsible for more than 80% of all visits made
by the nursing staff. Cases of terminal carcinoma often necessitated
up to four visits daily and many had the benefit of the Madame Curie
Night Nursing Service.
An analysis of the 3,505 new cases who received attention
during the year is given hereunder:—

Patients and Visits
Total number of Patients 4,022
Total number of Visits 174,181
Average number of Visits to each Patient 43
Long Term Cases
Patients Nursed for 3 months or more 415
(equivalent to 10 % of all cases nursed)