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The abuse of alcohol and drugs in modern society is reflected in our own
community. 'Living for kicks' may be a symptom of an underlying malaise
associated with an apathetic rejection of modern urban life. Can living for a
purpose be implanted to replace the often existing negative mores? The
affluent society has brought much material gain but 'man does not live by bread
alone'as modern youth rebelliously proves to us. There are local developments
amongst youth workers to re-think their role in a new society. Juvenile
delinquency which remains at a high level seems as often to be the product of
boredom in the community as it is to alleged deep-seated personality disturbance.
Community service schemes planned in the area may be one solution to canalise
youthful energy. Our work with youth on a health education level must be
integrated in these wider schemes.
Health Visiting and clinic Centre Activities
Health Visitors maintain close liaison with the staffs of statutory and
voluntary bodies, general practitioners and hospitals in the Borough. Their
visits to expectant mothers and to children under five years of age are shown
with other statistics on page 91. Health Education work is carried out by
means of personal contact as well as in group sessions held at the clinics.
At the request of the paediatricians concerned health visitors attended the
out-patients departments at hospitals to provide a link between hospital and
home.
The numbers of Health Visitors and Tuberculosis Visitors employed at the
beginning and end of the year were 32 and 35 respectively, there being 10
resignations and 12 new appointments during the year. Command Paper 1973
recommended an establishment for the year 1967 of 37 Health and Tuberculosis
Visitors, based on a proportion of 0.18 visitors per 1,000 population.
The Principal Nursing Officer, Miss E. Early, reports as follows:-
During the early part of the year there was an acute shortage of
health visitors, but fortunately the position improved in the autumn
following the successful completion of training by the ten students
sponsored by the Borough.
Health Visitors carry out combined school nursing-health visiting
duties, and all school nurses participate in some measure in the
maternity and child welfare services.
The thirteen Clinic Centres provide a service within pram-pushing
distance for mothers and children. In addition to infant welfare
sessions, toddlers' sessions, and ante-natal sessions, a number of group
activities attract enthusiastic participants.
31.