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63
THE WORK OF THE HEALTH VISITORS.—In consequence of
the additional work imposed upon the department by the Education
(Administrative Provisions) Act, 1907, the Council appointed two
additional health visitors, who came into office in April, 1908. An
abstract of the work done by the five health visitors is set out in Table
VIII. It will be seen that there has been- a large increase in the
amount of work carried out by the health visitors, though the additional
staff was not at work for the whole of the year, and we were also somewhat
hampered by the ill-health of one of the officers. The greater
part of the work done by this section of the staff is discussed in detail
in the section of the report presented to the Education Committee.
With regard to the duties performed for the Sanitary Committee, it
should be noted that a larger number of visits have been paid to houses
where infants have been born. The health visitors have appreciated
the advantage of earlier notifications now received of a large proportion
of the births occurring in the borough. While we were dependent on
the returns received from the district registrars, many weeks often
elapsed before the births were reported to this office, and this not only
entailed delay in the payment of the first visit to the houses where
children had been born, but these visits were often futile because the
mother was found to be absent from home, or to have moved to a new
address. Visits are now paid much more promptly (if possible at the
end of a fortnight) after the birth of a child, and at this period a much
larger proportion of mothers are found at home. Moreover, advice
given at this early period is more effective, as infants have not
materially suffered from the ill effects of unsuitable methods of feeding.
It is noteworthy that 1,507 swabs were taken from persons
(chiefly children) suffering from sore throat, or associated in some way
with diphtheria. This is a most useful part of the health visitors' work,
as in this way many missed cases of diphtheria are discovered, and
medical aid urged for children who would otherwise have failed to
secure treatment.
In the report for 1907, I mentioned that I had undertaken to
investigate any case in which medical practitioners considered that the
health visitors had exceeded their duties. As a matter of fact, the
number of complaints made is exceptionally small, and investigation
has in every instance proved that they were groundless, or due to some
misunderstanding or misrepresentation by the parents of the school
children concerned. I would like, however, to take this opportunity
of thanking the medical men for calling my attention to such cases, as
it is most important that there should be no misunderstanding between
this department and the medical practitioners of the borough. The
course adopted has also proved most useful to the health visitors, as it
has enabled us to show how thoroughly and tactfully their work is
carried on.