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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 105. 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 33 and 32 respectively, there being 14 resignations and 13 new appointments
during the year. Command Paper 1973 recommended an establishment for the year 1967 of 36
health and tuberculosis visitors, based on a proportion of 0.18 visitors per 1,000 population.
The deficit on establishment of health visitors is offset by the appointment of clinic
and school nurses whose training and qualifications enable them to carry out certain of the
duties which are not necessarily required to be performed by health visitors.
HOME NURSING
The home nursing service for the borough is carried out on an agency basis by the East
London District Nursing Society and the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine.
In September the Council adopted a recommendation that having regard to the wide range of
health services now provided directly by the Council in pursuance of its statutory powers, it
would be in the interest of the borough and its inhabitants for the home nursing service to be
brought under the Council's direct control and directed that discussions be commenced with the
East London District Nursing Society and the Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine with a
view to formulation of proposals which would enable such arrangement to be brought into
operation on 1st April, 1969.
Exploratory discussions with both organisations took place towards the end of the year.
Statistics relating to the home nursing service are on page 107 , and examples of home
nurse/home help co-operation are illustrated opposite pages 29 and 43.
LAUNDRY SERVICE
Soiled personal clothing, bed linen, etc. is collected at least twice weekly from the
homes of persons who are incontinent, and cleansed and laundered in the laundry at Branch
Road cleansing station. Increased demands led to an expansion of the service necessitating
the purchase of an additional tumbler drying machine. (Statistics on page 107).
INCONTINENCE PADS
Special commercially prepared disposable pads and/or knickers are supplied free in
suitable cases for use by incontinent and chronically ill aged persons. Over 15,000 pads
were purchased during the year and issued to 65 persons.
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