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The schoolgirls are taken during the course to maternity and child welfare centres,
where they learn at first hand of the services many will wish to use a few years after
leaving school.
Poster
competition
In order to stimulate interest in visual aids to health education, a poster competition
was held in 1955. Entries received from health visitors, school nurses, divisional clerical,
and day nursery staff were judged by Dr. W. Emrys Davies, the Education Officer of
the Central Council for Health Education, who was much impressed by the variety
and standard of the work submitted. In all 60 posters were entered.
Hospital
nurse
trainees and
the social
aspects of
disease
Since 1951 Divisional Health Visiting staff have lectured to hospital nurses on the
social aspects of disease. The number of requests from hospitals in the division has
increased since this subject was included in the General Nursing Council Syllabus in
1952.
During 1955, 46 lectures were given to a total of 426 nurses. Individual visits were
arranged to health establishments and schools in the division for this number. Selected
nurses were taken into the homes of families.
The nurses are now aware not only of the close link between hospital and local
authority where the after-care of hospital patients is concerned, but also of the positive
health-teaching carried out in the homes of the community. They now see their patients
as personalities with a definite home background and those anxieties about family and
job, which are so often a contributory cause to disease.
Home safety
Throughout the year, health visitors and school nurses paid particular attention to
this subject. Talks were given in welfare centres and schools, film strips were shown
and the elderly were advised on the hazards to be met in the home. Careful attention
has been given to the provision of fireguards essential both for the safety of the very
young and the very old.
During the home safety weeks, in addition to the usual advice, school children
were given leaflets and it is interesting to note that one boy of 14 years, when visiting
a school treatment centre later, remarked to a school nurse in charge, ' I see you practice
what you preach and have proper fireguards and no inflammable materials near the
fire'. He was able to relate from memory all he had read in his pamphlet, and a party
of senior school girls taken to the children's ward of a local hospital have told of a young
child who had just been admitted with extensive burns as a result of playing with
matches—they enquired later about this 3-year old and were told that she had died.
This incident will no doubt be remembered later in life when they themselves will be
bringing up children.
Care of the
aged
Hope for the future lies in the education of the mothers and fathers of tomorrow.
An increasing amount of the time of health visitors is now being taken in the
domiciliary care of old people who live alone.
249 old people were referred by hospitals for follow up. Many of the lone elderly
men and women are found by health visitors as they visit on their districts. They are
able to advise on the services available and to contact the various voluntary and statutory
bodies on behalf of those in need. They get in touch with relatives and friends who are
asked to give assistance in the care of the aged who live alone.
Conclusion
I would again like to express my sincere appreciation of the loyal co-operation
successful work of all my colleagues in the divisional health services.
Division 3, comprising the boroughs of Finsbury, Holborn and Islington.
Dr. Bertha E. A. Sharpe reports :
Medical
Officers
Five whole-time medieal officers continued to be employed throughout 1955, the
sixth position on the establishment being filled by the employment of equivalent parttime
staff so as to maintain liaison with the general medical services. Two of the wholetime
staff are acting as deputy Medical Officers of Health to the Islington and Finsbury
Borough Councils. Four whole-time and three part-time medical officers approved
for this purpose continue to be available for the ascertainment of educationally subnormal
children.
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