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DISTRICT NURSING
Valerie J. Buckingham, S.R.N., R.F.N., S.C.M., M.T.D., N.D.N.Cerl.
(Assistant Principal Nursing Officer)
The District Nursing Service was used to its fullest capacity during the year with an
increase of 7,115 visits above the figure for the previous year—164,427 in 1968,
171,542 in 1969. The number of patients referred for treatment within the home
dropped by 824 patients—4,625 in 1968, 3,801 in 1969; there were fewer children
under the age of 5 years seen at home and also in the age group 5 to 64 years, but
there was an increase of 537 patients of 65 years and over.
This changing pattern demonstrates the practical aspect of the district nursing
sister working within the doctors' surgeries.
Liaison Scheme with General Practitioners
At the beginning of the year 12 nursing sisters and one male charge nurse were
working in liaison schemes serving 30 doctors. Owing to a fixed establishment of
staff it was not possible to expand the scheme very far during the year, but three
further liaisons have been established, serving 5 doctors, making a total at the end
of the year of 16 members of staff working in liaison schemes and serving 35 doctors.
Most of the treatment sessions within the surgeries are in the late afternoon prior
to the evening surgery—lack of space has made this arrangement necessary. The
amount of work undertaken by the nursing sisters varies from one practice to another,
but during the year a total of 1,278 injections, plus 1,634 other treatments, were
carried out within surgeries.
There has been a growing appreciation of this scheme, as both the doctor and the
patient are helped and the sister sees the doctor regularly for discussion about her
work. For the patient who is at work it is only necessary for him to leave his job
an hour earlier instead of taking a morning off to attend the surgery or go to an
outpatients department or wait at home for the nurse to call. For the elderly who
are mobile and who can attend the surgery for treatment the visit provides a good
reason to leave the house for a short while and the social contacts are valuable to
those who are lonely.
District Nurses Employed
(Full time equivalents)—66
State Registered Nurses—Female 46
State Registered Nurses—Male 11
State Enrolled Nurses—Female 9.
Thirteen members of staff left during the year and vacancies were easily filled.
Retirements
We were very sorry to say good-bye to two of our senior district nursing sistersMiss
I. Cheeseman and Mrs. A. K. Buss. Mrs. Buss had spent 34 years in district
nursing and Miss Cheeseman 32 years—both served with the Ranyard Mission
until 1965 when the service was transferred to the London Borough of Lewisham.
A combined retirement party was held for them on the 2nd July, 1969, when
staff past and present met to wish them a happy retirement after so many years of
devoted service.
Staff Training
During the year three nursing sisters and one male charge nurse were successful
in obtaining the National Certificate of District Nursing. One State Enrolled nurse
prepared for the assessment of the Queen's Institute of District Nursing and passed
successfully.
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