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HOME NURSING SERVICE
Section 25
The Superintendent of the Home Nursing Service, Miss Curtis, reports
that notwithstanding the closure of the District Nurses' Homes in Hornsey
and Tottenham, the volume of work is unimpaired. The year's working
has shown that this service can be efficiently run from an office and use
of the telephone service. It took, however, some time for the public to
get used to the idea of the nurses living in their own homes, though in
fact the majority had been doing so for years, and only a few lived in the
Nurses' Homes.
It would appear from this year's numbers that some stability has been
reached in requests for the nurses' help. The same relationship exists in
calls for general nursing, other treatments and injections. The slight
drop in the number of injections given by the nurses is due to the fact
that penicillin is now more often administered orally.
Twenty-two full time and eight part-time nurses are at present employed
in the Home Nursing Service.
Apart from four nurses who are kept for relief duties, each nurse has a
localised district where she works permanently. This has proved to be
the most satisfactory method of using the staff. During the year five
home nurses attended refresher courses, each of one week's duration.
The work has varied little from that of 1955, injections of various
drugs and the care of the aged sick still forming a preponderance.
With the increasing demand for nursing the helpless patients at home, a
need has become obvious in that some type of lifting apparatus is required
to enable a nurse to move heavy patients without injury to herself. It is
hoped to provide a simple type of hoist for this work in the near future.
Also in connection with nursing these patients, the Hornsey Nursing
Association has kindly made a gift of two Dunlopillo mattresses for use
in Hornsey. These mattresses were sent out to patients a few days after
delivery and have been in constant use ever since. They have afforded
great relief and comfort to the long term bed patients.
Surgical cases discharged home for care of post-operative wounds has
continued in an effort to release hospital beds earlier than would otherwise
be possible.
As reported in previous years lack of adequate motor transport affects
efficiency. During the cold and wet winter of 1955 much discomfort
for the nurse and much delay was encountered in carrying out visits.
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