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PRACTICAL WORK INSTRUCTORS
We have had eight of our more experienced District Nurses trained as practical work
instructors in order that the students obtain full benefit from their period on the District.
NURSING AUXILIARIES
These valuable members of the staff have an important role to fulfil within their own
right as well as helping the District Nursing Sisters.
The basic work of nursing auxiliaries is bathing, washing, dressing and undressing (especially
the aged, but not patients who are acutely ill), assisting patients in carrying out walking exercises
in order that they remain ambulant, foot hygiene and assisting District Nursing sisters with the
care of heavy cases.
All have a planned course of preparation for their work, as a nursing auxiliary in hospital
or who have been trained through the St. John Ambulance or Red Cross Nursing Aids Schemes,
or by District Nurses practical work instructors.
They will be essential members of the teams which we hope to build up for Attachment
Groups.
ATTACHMENT OF THE NURSING STAFF TO GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
A new scheme for attachment of nursing staff to family doctor practices was started during
1971 in the Northern part of the Borough as a pilot project.
The nursing team consists of Health Visitors, District Nursing Sisters, Midwives, and is
responsible for providing services to persons (at least those within the Local Authority Boundary)
on the lists of specified general practitioners to whom they are attached and with whom they
have regular consultation. They may be attached to more than one practitioner or group. In
the case of the District Nursing Sister and Midwife she will not normally provide services to
patients not on the doctors lists but, for the time being health visitors may still retain some
responsibility for providing local authority services e.g. child health, school health and health
teaching to persons not on the lists of the practitioners to whom they are attached.
Although the expected antipathy to any change was evident in the early discussions, the
nursing staff involved became increasingly enthusiastic after some experience of working in this
way. They state that their own work is much more satisfying and there is no doubt that the
patients get a better service. This enthusiasm is spreading to unattached staff, many of whom
are now enquiring about the possibility of schemes being considered in the centre and southern
areas. Staff are to be congratulated on their enthusiasm in embarking on this new pattern of
work; they have made outstanding progress during the year. Success and progress in any
organisation depend on team work and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking all
the nursing staff for their co-operation and help in such a rapidly changing health service.
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