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
City of London 1966
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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SECTION 24 - HEALTH VISITING
During the year the health visitors made 190 (190) effective and 59 (65) unsuccessful home
visits. Of the 190 effective visits, 26 were primary visits to children under 1 year of age.
SECTION 25 - HOME NURSING
The home nursing service is undertaken by the Metropolitan District Nursing Association. It
is proposed to continue this arrangement. The functions of the home nurse will be not only to
carry out treatments as instructed by the General Practitioner but also to instruct the patient and
relatives in the best method of nursing and feeding and in general to see that the most efficient
methods are employed to make the patient as mobile as possible, and as comfortable as possible
and to reduce to a minimum the inevitable loneliness of the home-bound patient living alone.
Work during the year was as follows:—
(figures cannot be given for previous year as the Association commenced full time in the City only from 1st October, 1965).
| General Nursing | |
| No. of general nursing visits paid | 2,668 |
| To persons under five years | 10 |
| To persons aged 5 to 64 years | 232 |
| To persons over 65 years | 2,426 |
| For injections only | 360 |
| For other treatments only | 2,308 |
| No. of patients 1st January | 17 |
| No. of new medical patients | 34 |
| No. of new surgical patients | 9 |
| No. of early discharges of maternity patients from hospital | 1 |
| No. of patients discharged | 42 |
| No. of patients 31st December | 19 |
The number of patients being visited at any one time during this period has remainded
fairly constant at 20. About 90% of those receiving treatment were over 65 years, mainly suffering
from long term illnesses. Only one child under 5 years was visited during the year.
A small clinic, attended by one of the district nurse/midwives has been started at the
surgery of one general-practitioner partnership with the purpose of giving health education and
general nursing advice. This clinic takes place once per month and 41 attendances by patients
have been made.
40 domiciliary visits were made during the year to follow up questionnaires and to inform
residents of the Local health authority services available.
One district nurse/midwife resigned on 30th September. Owing to difficulty in recruiting a
suitable full-time member of staff, a !»rt-time district nurse commenced work on 3rd December on
a temporary basis.
A midwifery refresher course was attended by one of the district nurse/midwifes and a
general nursing refresher course by another.
The Authorities of the Inner and Middle Temples have requested the Corporation to provide
home nursing services within their areas on the same basis as the midwifery service and this has
been agreed.
SECTION 26 - VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION
The number of children immunised against Diphtheria, whooping cough and Tetanus at the Child Welfare Clinic was as follows:—
| Year of Birth | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 1965 | 1964 | 1963 | 1962 | 1961/59 | 1958/51 | Total | |
| No. who had completed primary immunisation at 31.12.66 | 11 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 21 | |
| No. who had received booster doses at 31.12.66. | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 2 | 12 |