London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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74
HOME NURSING
the home nursing service was provided by 27 voluntary district nursing organisations,
acting as agents for the Council, for which services they have received (with
one exception) grants to the extent of 90 per cent. of approved expenditure. In view
of the continued increase of work and rising costs, the associations have found it more
difficult year by year to raise the remaining 10 per cent. by voluntary efforts and the
Council agreed to the grant being raised to 92 per cent. for the financial year 1953/54.
The number of whole-time and part-time nurses employed at the end of 1953 was 490
(whole-time equivalent 444 nurses). This compares with 455 whole-time and part-time
nurses (405 whole-time equivalent) employed at the end of 1952.
The total number of visits paid was 1,724,302 compared with 1,610,428 in 1952,
giving an average of 14 visits daily for each nurse ; the same as for 1952. The average
case load of a nurse at any one time was 22.5 (22 in 1952). Treatments completed
totalled 63,635 and there were 10,562 patients still in nursing care at the end of the year.
The completed treatments related to the following conditions :
| Number | Percentage of total | |
|---|---|---|
| Infectious and parasitic diseases | 1,347 | 2.1 |
| Tuberculosis | 2,276 | 3.6 |
| Cancer and other neoplasms | 2,331 | 3.7 |
| Diabetes | 1,455 | 2.3 |
| Mental and other nervous diseases | 708 | 1.1 |
| Ear, eye and other sense organs | 4,348 | 6.8 |
| Cerebral lesions of vascular origin | 1,787 | 2.8 |
| Heart and arteries | 6,451 | 10.1 |
| Veins and other circulatory diseases | 880 | 1.4 |
| Respiratory diseases | 18,189 | 28.6 |
| Digestive diseases | 4,595 | 7.2 |
| Genito-urinary | 3,486 | 5.5 |
| Pregnancy | 635 | 1.0 |
| Skin | 6,632 | 10.4 |
| Bones and organs of movement | 1,320 | 2.1 |
| Injuries | 1,302 | 2.0 |
| Other diseases or ill defined | 5,803 | 0.3 |
These patients were referred to the nursing organisations by :
| General practitioners | 51,237 | 80.5 |
| Hospitals | 9,823 | 15.5 |
| Public health authorities | 557 | 0.9 |
| Direct application | 1,040 | 1.6 |
| Chest clinics | 978 | 1.5 |
Much of the demand for the services of district nurses came from old people ; 44 per
cent. of all those whose treatments were completed were over 60 years of age.
The expending tendency of the service is shown in the graph on page 75. The
numbers of visits paid and of treatments commenced and completed rose fairly steadily
with consistent well-marked peaks in the March quarter of each year. Peak periods
apart, the average number of completed treatments per nurse employed remained
fairly constant.
There was an exceptionally heavy demand for home nursing during the first quarter
of the year which was effectively met by the associations ; this was due largely to a
sharp rise in the number of respiratory diseases as a result of the severe fogs at the end
of 1952 and early in 1953, and to an outbreak of influenza in February. Completed
treatments during the quarter numbered 21,570 compared with 15,524 during the
first quarter of 1952.