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Taking both sexes together, 41 per cent, of all patients whose treatment was completed
were 65 years of age and over. Children under the age of 5 years accounted for
6 per cent, of the total.
The increased use of the service is shown in the graph on page 82. The number of
visits paid and of treatments commenced rose to the customary peak in the March
quarter. Although there was again no serious epidemic during that quarter, the number
of completed treatments reached 20,042. This compares with 18,102 in the corresponding
quarter of 1954, and 21,570 in 1953 when there was an influenza epidemic.
The Council provided cars on loan to those district nursing associations who needed
them but were unable to purchase them from their own resources. The Council
licensed, insured and periodically overhauled the vehicles, but running costs were borne
by the associations and ranked for grant. At the end of the year 21 cars were in use by
district nursing associations under this arrangement.
The Council's direct concern in running a home nursing service in the county
made it appropriate to appoint a supervisor with special duties in connection with the
home nursing service, who took up her duties on 1st January, 1955, for an experimental
period of one year. This experiment proved of mutual benefit to the Council, the Central
Council for District Nursing in London, and the voluntary nursing associations. The
appointment is being continued on a permanent basis. During the year the supervisor
visited all the associations' homes at least once, and where necessary advised on day to
day problems. Reports on the visits provided fruitful topics for discussion at the periodic
meetings with the Central Council for District Nursing.
Refresher
courses
Another experiment during the year was the holding by the Council of two nonresident
refresher courses for district nurses, each of two days' duration. Hitherto such
courses had been provided only by the Queen's Institute, the Royal College of Nursing
and the Ranyard Nurses. This experiment also was successful, and similar courses, but
of five days' duration, are being planned for the future. The longer period will allow
for a wider range of subjects to be covered, and for more visits of observation to be
made.
Special efforts were made during the year, with noticeable success, to effect closer
liaison between home nurses and their field colleagues in other parts of the personal
health services. Informal meetings, discussions, talks and demonstrations were held in
the divisions and have been welcomed by all who participated in them.
The district nursing associations played their part in giving student nurses from
hospitals an insight into the home nursing aspect of public health nursing.
One voluntary association (Silvertown & North Woolwich District Nursing
Association) ceased its activities on 1st November, 1955, home nursing for the Council's
area concerned being carried out from that date by Woolwich and Plumstead District
Nursing Association.
Loan of
home nursing
equipment
The supply of small articles of equipment on loan to patients being nursed at home
was undertaken on the Council's behalf by the medical loan depots maintained by the
British Red Cross Society who receive a block grant from the Council, and by the
district nursing associations (for their own patients) whose expenditure on this account
ranks for grant in the normal way.
From January, 1953, the Council has undertaken responsibility for the supply of
large and expensive items of equipment and all loan equipment needed for tuberculous
patients, as the voluntary organisations experienced difficulty in purchasing and storing
such items, and maintaining the extensive stocks required for long-term loans.
The demand for expensive and unusual equipment has continued to increase,
possibly due to the fact that many chronic sick and disabled persons formerly considered
to be ' hospital' cases are now able to be nursed at home. For example, as a result of
the work of the National Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville, many paraplegics
are now able to care for themselves.
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