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The annual lecture.demonstration course was attended by 45 midwives from
London, Middlesex and Surrey, the syllabus being :
Subject Lecturer
' Care of Premature Babies' Bernard E. Schlesinger, Esq., O.B.E., M.A.,
M.D., F.R.C.P.
' Preparation of the Mother for her Confinement' W. C. W. Nixon, Esq., M.D., F.R.C.S.,
F.R.C.O.G.
' Ante.natal Cases'—demonstration Miss Gladys H. Dodds, F.R.C.S., F.R.C.O.G.,
G. A. Silley, Esq., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.,
M.R.C.O.G.
H. Reiss, Esq., M.A., B.M., B.Ch.
Film on ' The Siamese Twins Operation ' —
Post certificate residential courses for midwives arranged by the Royal College of
Midwives were attended by 19 of the Council's midwives at Oxford, Cardiff and
Bristol. One non.medical supervisor of midwives attended summer school and another
attended the International Congress of Midwives and acted as Chairman of the Executive
Committee.
HEALTH VISITING AND NURSING SERVICES
the average strength of health visitors available during the year for health visiting
duties, apart from the tuberculosis and school health services, was the equivalent of
only 372 full.time units. In addition to their clinic and other duties, these health visitors
made 836,045 home visits.
1952 1953 1954
Expectant mothers—
First 25,226 24,608 24,739
Revisit 18,708 19,223 19,428
Per cent, of notified live and still.births 47 47 47
Premature babies—
First 1,834 1,894 1,624
Revisit 5,509 4,476 4,033
Still.births—
First 930 921 887
Revisit 349 335 366
Per cent, of still.births 90 87 89
Children under 1—
First 48,755 46,487 47,337
Revisit 183,816 168,833 178,262
Per cent, of live.births 91 90 94
Children 1 to 5—
First 4,572 7,485 7,182
Revisit 377,986 368,668 369,948
Infectious diseases 13,396 13,774 5,320
Miscellaneous 51,278 51,676 58,864
Unsuccessful 131,748 124,124 118,155
TOTAL 864,107 832,504 836,045
Home visits
Progress continued to be made in extending the function of the health visitor to cover
the care and welfare of the family as a whole and is referred to more fully in the section
dealing with co.operation with other parts of the National Health Service (page 56).
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