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Premature Baby Unit and Emergency Obstetric Unit
When the Premature Baby Unit or Emergency Obstetric Unit is required,the doctor
or midwife telephones the ambulance service (or asks a third person to telephone giving
that person the yellow premature baby unit or the white emergency obstetric unit card,
and stating the nature of the emergency). The Ambulance Service alerts the Unit concerned
at the appropriate hospital and sends an ambulance to pick up the unit and take it
to the patient's home. The ambulance stands by at the home to take the mother and/or
baby to hospital if necessary and will later return the Unit to its base.
Maternal deaths
Two deaths assigned to maternal causes or associated therewith were investigated
on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Security during the year. One of these
was due to abortion.
Health Visiting
The health visitor in the United Kingdom has been defined by the Council for the
Training of Health Visitors as a nurse with a post registration qualification who provides
a continuing service to families and individuals in the community. The main aspects of
her work are:—
(i) the prevention of ill-health;
(ii) the early detection of handicap and ill-health and the surveillance of high
risk groups;
(iii) identification of need and mobilisation of the appropriate resources to meet
the need;
(iv) provision of care, including advice and guidance in the care and management
of children and in cases of illness;
(v) health education.
The work of the health visitor in these fields, including that carried out in schemes
of attachment to general practitioners, is described in the appropriate sections of this report.
The part of the health visiting service which is measurable is shown in the following
statistics for 1968:—
First visits to:—
Children born in 1968 5,392
Children born in 1967 6,048
Children born in 1963-1966 12,627
Total 24,607
Aged over 65 250
Mentally disordered 284
Persons discharged from hospital (other than mental hospitals) 46
Infectious diseases 71
Total of all visits made by health visitors 101,818
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