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subnormal girls and this is proving very successful. Pupils also come to the Hallfield Maternal and
Child Welfare Centre, which is a useful way of widening their horizons.
An interesting Home Safety Exhibition was planned and held at Marsham Street Centre in
October.
Two health visitors trained Grey Coat Hospital pupils in Mothercraft for the Duke of Edinburgh's
Award. A series of talks was given at Buckingham Gate School in conjunction with their Home
Economics Course. The Business and Professional Women's Club, Westminster Branch, asked
for a speaker and this was arranged.
(See also full report on Health Education activities, page 55).
Staff Meetings
These were held at regular intervals with speakers from other departments to talk about their work.
Refresher Courses
Eight health visitors attended courses during the year.
Two Assistant Nursing Officers completed Queen's Nurse Training.
Other Activities
Two meetings were arranged with a senior nursing officer from the Ministry of Health, to discuss
the problems of child minding in the City.
Clinic Auxiliaries
The nursing staff establishment was varied during 1966 to include 8 clinic auxiliaries, and this
has proved a very successful arrangement. All staff agree they have become valuable members of
the team, relieving trained nurses of all domestic duties. A programme of training was arranged
in which senior staff took part, and the outcome has been good team spirit and appreciation on
both sides.
Group Practice Attachment
In addition to the continuation of the attachment of a health visitor on a part-time basis to one
group practice, a further group of doctors requested and received a similar service to their practice
during the year. These arrangements work very successfully and the general practitioners are most
appreciative of the work the health visitors undertake. The two health visitors concerned are also
keen to continue the two services, and are co-operating happily, to the benefit of patients and all
concerned. It is hoped in future to arrange that the health visitors will work full-time with both
groups.
School Health Service
Many of the health visitors take an active part in this service, arranging annual comprehensive
surveys and medical inspections, and hygiene surveys where necessary. They co-operate closely
with head teachers and medical officers, and are welcome visitors to the schools. At infant and
junior schools they often have knowledge of the family background of the children concerned,
having recently visited them as the under 5 years group. Health education plays quite a big part in
the work of the nursing staff in schools; personal hygiene talks are given to individual children and
to groups of children, apart from the other teaching sessions arranged.
Day Nurseries—Staffing
The senior nursing staff co-operate fully with the Matrons on the administration of the day
nurseries. Five nurseries continue to train nursery nurses and close contact is maintained with the
colleges concerned with this training. During the year eight students entered for The Nursery
Nurses Examination and were successful. The training, which is for girls from 16—18 years, is an
interesting and useful one and wide opportunities occur for the students once they are trained.
Training takes 2 years, and on passing the examination students become registered Nursery Nurses.
Because of the opportunities outside day nursery work, recruitment is difficult, and there is a
serious shortage of staff from time to time.
Arrangements are made for the part-time admission of handicapped children to day nurseries
and 2 Matrons and I nursery nurse have attended courses to help them handle these children;
it is hoped to be able to extend this training to others. It is important to keep the nurseries adequately
staffed and recruitment is a major activity of senior nursing officers.
Many children are admitted to the nurseries because of adverse enviromental conditions, and
therefore it is essential to keep the nursery staff up to date and fully aware of developments in the
field of child care. This is done by arranging for them to attend refresher courses at regular intervals.
Four Matrons and 4 Deputy Matons attended such courses during the year.