View report page

a fair amount of change occurs in the personnel from year to year,
while, as they are part of a County Service, their services are not
limited by local District boundaries and a system of reliefs operates
over a wider area. The amount of 'cover' and the conditions of
service of the individual nurses have, as a result, improved since
the institution of the National Health Service, but there is apt to be
less close association between the residents and their District Nurse
than there was previously and less acceptance of direct responsibility
for her well being.
The demands on the midwives have varied considerably since
1948, and at present are on the increase. Further changes may
result from the national review of the Maternity Services as a
whole now being undertaken.
As would be expected, with an ageing population the amount
of District Nursing has steadily increased, while the greater number
of persons being treated by injections of anti-biotics and the shortage
of hospital accommodation for the elderly are additional factors
involving still greater demands.
The following figures give an idea of the amount of work done
in 1956 in this Division, of which about two-thirds relates to
Coulsdon and Purley:-
25,585 visits were paid to medical cases, 5,681 to surgical
cases, 1,768 to the tuberculosis and 747 for a variety of other
conditions, making a total of 33.781 visits.
Home Help Service.
This Service began locally on a small scale some 30 years ago
initially to help mothers at the time of their confinements, but it
grew rapidly during the war when its scope was widened. These
Helps can only be provided in genuine cases of ill-health or old
age and, as their number is limited by the supply of suitable
women willing to undertake this work, the amount of help which
can be provided has to be varied according to the physical and
social circumstances of the applicants.
Applications should be made to the Home Help Supervisor
whose responsibility it is to make the day to day arrangements.
During 1956, on the average the equivalent of 40 whole time
Home Helps were employed in the Division; this at times necessitates
the engagement of as many as 63 part or whole time Helps.
A total of 903 cases were assisted, (i.e. 236 maternity, 23 tuberculosis,
281 chronic sick, aged or infirm and 363 acute cases) this
being easily the highest number dealt with to date.
Family Planning.
Since 1945 a Family Planning Clinic has been provided for
this District and it is now held at Westway, Caterham-on-the-Hill.
Only married women whose health would be adversely affected if
34