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Health visitor-school nurses were also responsible for the daily examination
of each child in the school affected and for the home visiting of
absentees to ensure that no early signs of illness were overlooked.
Health Visitor Students
Practical training was arranged for seven health visitor students during
the year. These attended from the Royal College of Nursing, Battersea
Polytechnic and Chiswick Polytechnic. Some of these students came
from overseas as far apart as Malaya and Jamaica. The work of
arranging programmes and for demonstrating the various aspects of
the health visitor's work, though of great importance, is very timeconsuming.
Many voluntary and statutory bodies, hospitals and other departments
connected with the health services have accepted the students in our
care for observation visits. We consider that all the effort devoted to the
student health visitor is well worth while as they bring with them a
keenness to see as much as possible and enthusiasm for their future
vocation.
Student Nurses
The Middlesex Hospital, W.1, and the Prince of Wales's General
Hospital sent a number of nurses in training to the Area for observation
visits connected with health visiting. As far as possible different aspects
of the work were shown so that a fairly balanced picture of health services
outside hospital was seen.
Lectures on Social Aspects of Disease were given on seven occasions
during the year to student nurses in training by the Superintendent
Health Visitor. Other members of the staff gave evening talks to local
youth groups.
Other Visitors included health visitors attending post-certificate
courses, student teachers from several training colleges, university social
science students, student ward sisters from the Staff College, King
Edward's Fund for London, Public Health nurses from Israel, Barnardo's
students, student nursery nurses and others.
Clinic Premises have been made available for the use of voluntary
bodies—The National Blood Transfusion Service and The Family Planning
Association. The Family Planning Association has the use of the School
Clinic, Hornsey Town Hall on Monday and Tuesday evenings each week,
and on Wednesday evenings weekly at Lordship Lane School clinic,
Tottenham.
Prevention of Break-up of Families—Special Services Health Visitors
As stated in my report for 1956, two health visitors were appointed
to specialise in the care of problem families and their children in order
to prevent the break-up of the family, to prevent deterioration in the
well-being and health of the children and to promote better standards
of home-making. Families are usually referred to the special services
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