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36
THE WORK OF THE HEALTH VISITOR
Mrs. M.I. Pointer, S.R.N. S.C.M. M.T.D. H.V.
Assistant Superintendent Nursing Officer for Health Visitors
A momentous year has drawn to a close and we can now look
forward to the future with greater optimism than we probably did
this time last year.
Despite many discussions and consultations which took place
before the first of April, we found in practice that in order to
select from each amalgamating authority the most progressive
ideas for developing our services in the new Borough, many
adjustments still had to be made.
We hope we have taken the "best of both worlds" and established
a united team of Health Visitors. District boundaries
have been re-arranged and new areas created, all of which has
helped to foster the concept of one complete Authority. There
has also been an exchange of areas between Health Visitors of
the two former Authorities.
During the year the Health Visitors have faced many pressures,
staff shortage being the most acute problem. Vacancies are
difficult to fill and the hope of increasing our establishment
of Health Visitors to cope with the growing population seems
rather remote. The situation has been eased in school work by
increasing the number of school nurse assistants but several
Health Visitors are still carrying double case loads in maternity
and child welfare.
The movement of families within and into the Borough involves
a great deal of extra work, particularly in maintaining contact
with the families who move about frequently, for it is often
those families who most need help.
Overseas immigrants have presented special problems and one
Health Visitor has been assigned to deal with matters concerning
their welfare and integration into the community.
More and more mothers are finding themselves obliged to go
out to work, thus giving rise to concern for the care of their
young children. One Health Visitor has been appointed to deal
with the supervision of play - groups, foster-mothers and daily
minders, including the inspection of premises and equipment of
prospective daily minders.