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HEALTH VISITING SERVICE
(Sections 24 and 79)
The establishment of health visitor-school nurses remained fairly
stationary during the year as it had acquired the maximum number of
staff allowed for this Area. The fraction (four elevenths) which is
cast as the proportion to be included in the establishment for each
student health visitor did not affect the number of health visitors here
since no sponsored student was engaged.
The health visitor's function under the National Health Service
Act is to give advice as to the care of young children, persons
suffering from illness, expectant and nursing mothers, measures necessary
to prevent illness and the spread of infection. Illness includes
mental illness and any injury or disability requiring medical or dental
treatment or nursing (Section 79). Since by this definition the health
visitor is required to give advice (and not treatment) she has become
engaged in the promotion of a healthy home background for an infinite
number of families and persons whatever their environment may be.
Social problems of all kinds arise in the course of home visiting and
the health visitor is at the focal point to give advice and to guide the
necessitous to those services or agencies which can render immediate
or suitable help.
The work of the health visitor was considerably extended by the
Act to include the care of the whole family. One tends to think of
the family unit as father, mother and children, but the health visitor
is also called upon to visit persons unattached to a family as far as
housing is concerned. Many of such cases live alone and are referred
to the health visitor by hospital almoners, family doctors and others.
The increase in the number of such referrals shows a greater awareness
of the need to provide adequate care in the home where the
extrinsic patient becomes a member of the community again and whose
rehabilitation is often incomplete.
This mixture of advice on social and health matters given by
the health visitor cannot be separated in the field work of home
visiting and is recognised by all who seek her help.
No. of visits paid by Health Visitors working in the Area:- 1961 1960
Expectant Mothers First Visits 1796 2084
Total Visits 3120 3436
Children under 1 year of age First Visits 4737 4837
Total Visits 12997 15295
Children aged 1-2 Total Visits 6704 7090
Children aged 2-5 Total Visits 10524 11526
Other cases - Total Visits as Health Visitor 6102 6219
Total Visits as School Nurse 978 776
61