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sisters who cannot play a part in the health visiting service because they lack the qualification
specified in the National Health Service (Qualifications of Health Visitors and
Tuberculosis Visitors) Regulations, 1948. Since the coming into force of the Handicapped
Pupils and School Health Service Regulations of 1945, under which school
nursing sisters are required to possess the health visitor's certificate, efforts have beer
made to encourage the school nursing sisters to secure this qualification. A special
intensive course was instituted in 1947 to this end, and with the approval in principle of
the Ministry arrangements are now in hand for the establishment of a similar course oi
training for the certificate. It is hoped that this course will lead to an additional 30 school
nursing sisters obtaining the health visitor's certificate. Selected school nurses may be
granted up to one year's leave without pay to enable them to take other courses of
training to qualify as health visitors and 25 school nurses have taken advantage of this
concession since 5th July, 1948. The fact remains, however, that the majority of the
school nursing sisters are unable to secure the health visitor's qualification as they are not
accepted, because of age, for the normal training courses.
Of the 847 public health nursing staff employed on the maternity and child welfare,
tuberculosis and school health services of the Council at the end of 1952, 463 were
qualified as health visitors. Some progress has thus been possible in extending the
function of the health visitor to cover the care and welfare of the family as a whole. As
a step towards this there is increasing co-operation and consultation between health
visitors, general medical practitioners and the voluntary and statutory organisations
which serve the family.
Arrangements have been made for health visitors to extend their sphere beyond the
visiting of expectant and nursing mothers and young children but, because the
possibihties are governed by the general shortage of health visitors, and by local needs
the degree to which it has been possible to bring the whole family within their sphere
has varied between divisions and indeed within divisions. Although the importance of
regular visiting of young children is fully appreciated it has been found possible, on the
principle of putting first things first, to enable health visitors to meet the needs of others
such as old people, homeless families units and after-care of patients discharged from
hospital, by exercising discretion in the frequency of visits paid to those children whc
appear to be well cared for. To make the best use of the health visitors available the
practice has been followed of allocating the greater proportion of the health visitors tc
those parts of the county where their services are most likely to be needed. Thus the
areas allocated to health visitors in districts where conditions are generally poor are
smaller than elsewhere.
The opinion has been formed that if health visitors were available in sufficient
numbers to meet the needs throughout the whole county, their working time could
most suitably be allocated on a basis of one-half to maternity and child welfare and
one-half to school health and other duties.
Health
education
Health visitors are trained to undertake individual and group health teaching in the
normal course of their duties. Some, however, have obtained special qualifications after
attending advanced courses in educational psychology and methods of teaching.
Altogether 48 health visitors (including 18 specially selected and granted financial
assistance under a scheme approved by the Health Committee) have obtained such a
qualification.
During the year an outline syllabus on the teaching of parentcraft was prepared as a
guide for health visitors responsible for health education work in maternity and child
welfare centres and for school nursing staff taking classes in citizenship courses in
- secondary modern and grammar schools.
Requests continue to be received for health visitors to assist in polytechnics and institutes
in training courses and refresher courses for nursery matrons, nursery nurses,
wardens and house-mothers. Some also undertake special classes in certain Teachers'
Training Colleges. During the year the syllabus of general nurse-training was revised
by the General Nursing Council and a number of hospitals, including Teaching