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has become recognised in the form in which it is practised in this Borough has been shown by
the number of students from other areas and disciplines who have visited the Health Education
Officer during the year.
The Mental Health Section having been the first to recognise the potential has increased
its use of the health education services,including requests for a highly successful and well
attended exhibition and regular attendances at training centres and clubs.
The new Degree Course students from the London Hospital have visited the department for
district ''orientation'' and discussion.
The Health Education Council, which was set up by the Government to plan and promote
national programmes of health education and to assist in the development of local programmes
in co-operation with local authorities, professional organisations, voluntary bodies, industry
and commerce, took over on lst April the health education promotional activities of the previous
Ministry of Health and the work of the Central Council for Health Education.
The Council's Welfare Committee expressed concern at the increasing number of applications
received for admittance to part III accommodation for the homeless as a result of fires arising
from use of oil heaters, and following a recommendation to the Health Committee appropriate
action was taken to ensure the widest publicity being given to the matter, including house to
house visits to immigrants to instruct them on the dangers of misuse of these appliances.
Statistics on the work of the section are given on page 98.
HEALTH VISITING
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 99 . 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 outpatients
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 37 and 39 respectively, there being 9 resignations and 11 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.
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.
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
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