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Periods of attachment within the Department were also provided for 18 health
visitor students from the Royal College of Nursing. University of London (Institute
of Education), and the North-Western Polytechnic.
CO-OPERATION WITH CHILDREN' S AND WELFARE DEPARTMENTS
Residential establishments under the control of the Children's Committee are
visited once a quarter by one of the Council's medical officers. By this means
advice regarding general hygiene of the establishments and standards of care can be
given to the Children's Officer and handicapped children in the homes can be followedup.
70 such visits were made during the year.
The Children's Officer seeks the assistance of this department with regard to
applications by Islington residents to adopt or foster children and in each case the
health visitor is asked to report on the applicants if they are known to her. and 77
requests of this nature were received during the year. In addition, the Children's
Officer seeks medical advice from this department in adoption or fostering cases
where there is doubt about the health of the prospective adopters or foster parents
or the medical history of the child.
Five visits by a medical officer were made during the year to homes for the
elderly which are under the control of the Welfare Committee, and by public health
inspectors. The reports of these officers, which commented on matters of hygiene and
general facilities for the residents, were passed to the Chief Welfare Officer for
his consideration.
EMERGENCY TELEPHONE ARRANGEMENTS
The Council continued to make use of the Admissions and Doctors Inquiry Service
(also used by the London Boroughs of Camden and Haringey) operating from Whittington
Hospital for the taking and passing on of emergency calls outside office hours for the
Council's health services. Details of the calls dealt with are as follows:-
Domiciliary Midwifery 688
Mental health 433
Home Nursing 385
Infectious disease 8
Other 9
Total 1.523
Midwives and Mental Health Social Workers were able to make use of special hired
car facilities at night and at weekends.
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