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 1961
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Ten district nursing associations, nine of which are affiliated to the Queen's Institute of
District Nursing, provide three months' district experience for pupil midwives taking
Part II midwifery training. Two of these associations, the Camberwell District Nursing
Association and the independent Nursing Sisters of St. John the Divine, are approved
Part II training schools and for the present have been able to give their pupils six months'
district experience.
The Council has authorised the attendance of superintendents and of home nurses at
appropriate refresher courses run by the Queen's Institute of District Nursing, the
Ranyard Nurses and the Royal College of Nursing each year. Since 1955 the Council
itself has run a two-day course and subsequently five-day courses for home nurses in
London, alternating with Ranyard Nurses for this purpose.
Statistics—The associations make quarterly statistical returns to the Council. There has
been a steady decline in the last few years in the number of patients nursed and in the
visits paid. The following table shows the work done in the last five years.
| 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 563 | 539 | 546 | 551 | 530 | |
| State-enrolled assistant nurses (included above) | 30 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 35 |
| Whole-time equivalent | 522 | 496 | 507 | 508 | 492 |
| Medical | 1,647,319 | 1,563,599 | 1,427,302 | 1,351,815 | 1,281,293 |
| Surgical | 210,477 | 211,261 | 218,895 | 232,988 | 221,543 |
| Infectious diseases | 1,807 | 907 | 1,766 | 1,506 | 2,536 |
| Tuberculosis | 82,620 | 71,012 | 69,309 | 59,415 | 51,000 |
| Maternity complications | 5,441 | 6,710 | 7,461 | 7,626 | 8,547 |
| Other | 43,957 | 40,064 | 38,563 | 36,734 | 36,941 |
| Total | 1,991,621 | 1,893,553 | 1,763,296 | 1,690,084 | 1,601,860 |
| To patients' homes for— Injections only | 968,506 | 856,840 | 718,335 | 614,053 | 546,959 |
| Injections and other treatment | 108,715 | 111,555 | 102,037 | 85,571 | 89,358 |
| Other treatments only | 880,504 | 890,540 | 904,752 | 953,950 | 930,413 |
| Average number of visits— To each patient | 30 | 30 | 31 | 33 | 33 |
| By each nurse | 3,815 | 3,818 | 3,478 | 3,327 | 3,256 |
| Medical | 56,091 | 52,222 | 47,464 | 41,914 | 39,756 |
| Surgical | 6,126 | 5,937 | 5,928 | 5,735 | 5,434 |
| Infectious diseases | 276 | 142 | 214 | 144 | 220 |
| Tuberculosis | 1,742 | 1,395 | 1,269 | 1,134 | 997 |
| Maternity complications | 714 | 862 | 982 | 1,047 | 1,396 |
| Other | 2,220 | 1,558 | 1,511 | 1,351 | 1,334 |
| Total | 67,169 | 62,116 | 57,368 | 51,325 | 49,137 |
| Average case load per equivalent wholetime effective* nurse at end of year | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 22 |
| Completed treatments | 56,395 | 53,359 | 49,299 | 43,118 | 41,010 |
| Long-term casest— Number | 14,598 | 11,769 | 11,225 | 9,628 | 10,236 |
| Percentage of total patients nursed | 21.7 | 18.9 | 19.6 | 18.8 | 20.8 |
*Allowing for holidays and sickness.
Visited more than 24 times during the year.
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