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MATERNAL DEATHS
Confidential enquiries in accordance with Department of Health instructions were initiated into the
deaths of four women who had been Islington residents. In no case was the Council's staff involved.
TRAINING
The Council's eight domiciliary midwives trained pupils from the City of London Maternity Hospital.
During 1970, 23 pupils completed their district experience and a further six were in training at the end of
the year.
GUTHRIE TESTING
Domiciliary midwives continued to undertake screening tests for phenylketonuria resulting in a total of
1,047 tests. Of these, 683 were first tests, and 364 were repeats.
HOME NURSING
Islington is changing; drab tenement houses with no conveniences are being replaced by light airy
centrally-heated flats, in pleasant surroundings, making easier the nursing of people in their homes.
The new Islington does, however, bring problems for the nursing staff; road closures, one-way traffic
systems and new parking restrictions, mean extra time being spent in getting from one patient to another.
Many elderly patients moved into these new flats take time to settle, especially if they have to get to know
a whole new set of neighbours. For the housebound the new move can be traumatic unless they can be
moved with neighbours they know.
Throughout the year there has been slight but steady increases in the number of patients taken on the
books. There has been a sharp increase in supervisory visits, the majority of these by nursing staff attached
to group practices; others are to patients referred to the bathing service but kept on the books for
supervisory visits by trained nursing staff.
A further attachment of a home nurse to a group practice commenced at the beginning of the year.
The demands on the service are becoming increasingly heavy. Many more patients with terminal illnesses
are staying at home and the rehabilitation of patients recovering from strokes takes more nursing time.
Many heavy patients need two nurses where it is impracticable to get mechanical equipment in the home.
Fifteen patients with terminal carcinoma received Marie Curie night nursing during the year, and four
patients received extra nourishment. Queen Mary's Needlework Guild sent us warm clothing and bed linen
for needy patients.
Several of the nursing staff have been on study days this year on:
Care of the Feet
Diabetes in the Community
Epilepsy
Care of the Stoma
Care of the Elderly
One senior nurse was sent on a Practical Work Instructors course at Chiswick Polytechnic. All the nursing
staff derive benefit from these study days; it widens their knowledge and thus enables them to give
improved care.
During the year the Whittington Hospital started sending at regular intervals, two ward sisters for a day's
observation of nursing in the community. This continues and is proving very successful, home nurses and
ward sisters learning one from the other.
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