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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
Existing Clinic Provision
A table setting out full information in respect of the Council's clinics and a key to the services
provided will be found on page 115.
General Practitioners/Domiciliary Staff Attachments
The attachment of Health Visitors to General Practitioners was increased, whilst the complete
attachment of midwives to General Practitioner Obstetricians was effected in September.
Health Visiting
The full complement of Health Visitors was retained during the year with only a small number
of staff changes. Three student health visitors successfully completed their course and were taken
on to the established staff and two health visitors were appointed specifically to deal with
elderly people in two areas of the Borough where there is a heavy proportion of elderly persons.
Health Visitors have taken a large part in the programme of direct health education and have
given talks to groups of mothers in centres and to student nurses during their state registration
training. They also began teaching in five more junior schools and three more senior schools.
The amount of time given to student nurses from hospitals in the Borough by health visitors
has steadily increased. It is usual for a student to spend a day with a health visitor on domiciliary
duties and then return to the hospital for discussion with a member of the health visiting staff.
The introduction of health visitors to Edgware General Hospital Geriatric Unit was a happy
experience lasting for eight months during which time relationships were improved, and to cement
this beginning, it was decided to second one health visitor with a special aptitude and interest in
the care of the elderly to the unit for five sessions per week. She conveys the needs of the elderly
known to the health visitors in the catchment area to the hospital staff and receives information
in turn. Many difficulties of communication have been eliminated and this is proving to be a very
worth while arrangement.
The Council for Health Visitors Training referred two of the staff from a London College to the
Borough to observe the administration of the public health nursing services prior to arranging
management courses.
The following tables show (a) the number of cases of various categories visited by Health
Visitors and (b) staff attendance at Clinics.
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