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GUTHRIE TESTING
Guthrie tests for phenylketonuria were carried out by domiciliary midwiveson 979 babies, 668 were
first tests and 311 repeat tests.
TRAINING
The Council's domiciliary midwives continue to train pupil midwives from the City of London
Maternity Hospital. During 1972, 22 pupils completed their district experience and a further 7 were in
training at the end of the year.
HOME NURSING
The work of the District Nurses continued to increase mainly in caring for the aged. Of the patients
attended 88.2% were over 60, and a large proportion of these were between 80 and 96; it is with this latter
group that the need for constant nursing support is growing, and where intensive care is needed. Patients
who live alone often require two nurses to care for them, two or three times a day.
The programme of training nurses for the District Nursing Certificate continued. Thirteen State
Registered Nurses completed the course and all were successful in gaining their certificates. Sixteen State
Enrolled Nurses completed their ten-week in-service course during the year; five of these were working in
the Borough and eleven were nurses from St. Matthews Hospital, Shepherdess Walk, who completed their
two-year integrated nurse training for State Enrollment. All sixteen were successful in gaining their District
Nursing Certificates.
The Medical Loan Service continued to be used extensively. Among the many items provided are
Ripple Beds for the prevention of pressure sores. Also included are mechanical Hoists which have been
very beneficial to patients' relatives and nursing staff.
Night nursing care was provided during the year by Marie Curie Memorial Foundation for fifteen
patients suffering from terminal cancer, who were thereby enabled to remain with their families to the
end of their lives. An Evening Nursing Service from Mondays to Fridays was provided by four part-time
District Nurses, who each work varying times to cover the hours between 7 and 11 p.m.; when extra staff
is available, this service will be extended to include the weekend.
A new project under discussion in 1972 was an Ambulant Clinic for patients with varicose ulcers.
As an initial step, arrangements were made for two senior District Nurses to study more closely the care
and treatment of varicose ulcers, with the intention of starting the clinic in 1973.
Many letters of appreciation of the kindness and care given to patients by the District Nursing
Sisters were received; the following extracts are typical. may ' offer my grateful thanks to every
member of the Nursing Service, who helped for all those years She so much appreciated all your
help, having nursed herself and loved every one of you. God Bless you all and thank you so much for
the work you do". " I just cannot find the right words to do justice to you and your staff.We have
never had or seen such kindness. would never have lived so long had it not been for the care and
tenderness of your staff. I could never have managed on my own. Nothing was too much or too hard for
them. We could never have had better service. You gave months of life".
Hospitals have also made complimentary remarks on the care given to patients by District Nursing and
the co-operation received from the local Authority; this is particularly gratifying as it has always been in
mind that the need for greater continuity of care for the patient going from community to hospital and
returning from there to the community, makes for increased co-operation and contact between these two
services.
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