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Midwives now assist in modern screening methods for the detection
of abnormalities in the new born child, e.g. phenylketonuria. This requires
extra visits to the home. Participation in health education - in
conjunction with the Health Visitor - for expectant mothers is another
widening aspect. Closer liaison in ante natal clinics with general practitioners
in group practice has also enlarged the horizon of the midwives
work, all of which improves the service to the community.
Midwifery is an essential service and the right of an expectant
mother wishing to have a home confinement must be respected as must that
of the midwife who wishes to continue to work on the district doing the
job for which she has been trained.
Health Visiting Section
I have already mentioned the deplorable situation regarding the number
of staff available to cover the very wide functions for which the Health
Visitor has a statutory responsibility. As a highly skilled person she is
to date - the only all purpose family visitor fully qualified to give all
members of the public guidance on positive physical and mental health.
She is prominent in the field of preventive medico-social medicine and
acts as liaison officer between doctors, hospitals, social workers, etc.,
and her families.
A small number of less qualified staff assist, very ably, in some
aspects of the work and if this serious shortage of staff persists, it
will be essential to increase the number of ancillary workers who, with
special in-service training, will be able to assist the health visitors
still further in their work.
Current Events during 1970
In June, discussion took place - at the request of a Paediatrician
for one health visitor to commence a weekly Paediatric Liaison session at
Oldchurch Hospital, its aim being to provide a better understanding between
hospital and home background and an improved hospital after-care service
for the families involved. We hope at some future date to extend this
type of service.
Long standing departmental problems necessitated the reorganisation
of staff at the local Chest Clinic. Each health visitor is now responsible
for the after-care of families under surveillance on her area, the clinic
duties being performed by clinic nurses.
Extra nursing attendants have been appointed to relieve the district
nurses of simple nursing duties thus allowing them more time for cases
requiring the skills of a trained nurse. This is one area of work where
there is a further need for expansion.
From June to December, health visitors completed sixty four medicosocial
assessments on families for whom medical priority certificates
had been received for re-housing. Research teams requested information
to assist their studies on deaths among asbestos workers and on one-parent
families. Health visitors play an important role in this kind of enquiry.
Students from numerous organisations spent a considerable amount of
time in the various departments observing techniques and visiting with
staff to learn the basic principles of preventive medicine carried out by
each section.
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