London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Greenwich 1968

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]

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121
plines to the work in the field. Student nurses come into the field
for observation visits throughout their training and this year we
have provided experience for them as follows:
1st Year students 76
2nd Year students 48
3rd Year students 123
Preliminary Training 133
Pupil Nurses 99
Miller Hospital in
assorted groups 156
Total 635
In addition, the Nursing Officers give a course of two or more
lectures to each group and, in 1968, these totalled 38.
Health Education
During the year, a health education committee consisting of
health visitors and school nurses continued to meet every month
and, with the help of the Health Education Officer, made out a
programme of topics for the year. Posters and leaflets were
selected to support the topic chosen for the month and, if no
suitable material was available, the Health Education Section with
ideas from this committee, were able to fill the gap. This committee
also reviewed new films, leaflets and posters and assessed their
suitability for use in the health visiting and school health fields.
All Health Visitors and those School Sisters who have attended
a special teaching course make an increasing contribution in the
field of formal health teaching, that is to say that they give
prepared talks or lectures to special groups, in the clinics, schools,
hospitals and to private groups of all kinds. A total of 296 sessions
was held in school and 78 were held elsewhere.
This work in the field of improving communication, knowledge
and understanding of all matters that relate to happy, healthy
living is our insurance for the future. The mental and emotional
stability of the people of this country must be given a chance to
catch up on the improved physical health that the accelerated
improvement in scientific knowledge and modern research has
brought in the last two decades.
Child Welfare Clinics
From the early part of the century when child welfare was the
field of the voluntary bodies and the problems were mainly those
of malnutrition and insanitary conditions, to the present day
highly organised local authority services, there has been a gradual
change in emphasis of functions and purposes. Today, close liaison