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home, or discharged after 48 hours, or on babies whose previous
tests have shown doubtful results.
During 1969 there were fewer staff changes and all midwives
in the Borough's service are now car drivers.

Health visiting service
During 1969 there were still several unfilled vacancies in the
health visiting staff. The willingness of staff to help where needed
and the mobility of car users did much to ease the situation and
also to demonstrate the need for health visitors to use their cars in
their work.
Five health visitors took part in a pilot survey of the Work of
the Health Visitor, which was undertaken by the Research and
Intelligence Unit of the Greater London Council on behalf of the
Council for the Training of Health Visitors.
Teaching sessions other than regular sessions in the centres were
undertaken by health visitors at four schools. Health visitors have
joined with the hospital staff at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton
in their classes for expectant mothers, and have given
talks to students in a College of Education.
One of the health visitors at the Tooting Centre is now
" attached " to a group practice. She attends the surgery regularly
and undertakes visiting for the doctors in the group as required.

Premature infants
During 1969, the number of premature births was a little less
than 9% of the total births, a figure comparable to the prematurity
incidence in other London Boroughs.