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9
Section 25, Home Nursing
The voluntary association has continued to act as agents of
the Corporation in the provision of home nursing. I think there
has been an ideal combination of the flexibility permitted to a
voluntary organisation, with the resources of a large county
borough. The volume of work has increased, especially amongst
the aged and infirm, for whom a special service has been provided
in conjunction with the local hospital geriatric unit.
Relationships with general practitioners have been very good
and there seems no doubt that home nursing is now regarded as an
indispensable part of the health service.
Section 26, Vaccination and Immunisation
The difficulty has been the increasing number of different
illnesses against which protection can be given. Parents are
anxious to do all they can for their children, but the programme
of vaccinations and injections is becoming so lengthy as to
daunt even the most enthusiastic.
It has been the policy of the department to rely mainly on
personal advice from the health visitors and medical officers at
infant welfare centres, but to allow the family doctor the first
opportunity to provide the actual service. If he does not wish
to do so, or the parent does not take the necessary action, "on
demand" facilities are available at infant welfare centres.
For children of school age, approach through the schools
unquestionably produces the best results and where appropriate,
this method has been used.
Section 27, Ambulance Service
The problem here has been a mounting demand and the need to
maintain efficiency while practising economy. This is impossible
without the active co-operation of the hospital and general
practitioner service, which in Croydon at least, has readily been
forthcoming.
The increasing emphasis on domiciliary care, the provision
of day hospitals and out-patient facilities suggest that tbe
pressure of the last ten years for added services is unlikely to
diminish in the immediate future.