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27
Home Nursing Service
During the year arrangements were completed with Croydon General
Hospital for an Integrated S.E.N./District Nurse Training. The first intake
of pupils was in November 1968 and they will spend two weeks with the
District Nurses during their first year and six weeks during their second
year of training. As the hospital plans four schools a year this will become
an increasing responsibility for the District Nursing Service. However, it is
hoped that in due course this training will provide a pool for recruitment
of Enrolled Nurses for district work.
The new S.E.N./District Nurse Training has extended the close links
already forged between the hospital and community nursing services. All
branches of the Borough Nursing Services have appreciated the invitations
extended to them by their hospital colleagues to participate in Staff Study
days.
For detailed figures see page 112.
IMMUNISATION
Regarding 75% as the minimum protection rate for the population at risk,
reasonably satisfactory levels were achieved for poliomyelitis, diphtheria,
pertussis and tetanus. It was still not possible to use computer records for
this service. Instructions to involve the family doctor before vaccinating
against smallpox were observed, but towards the end of the year it became
clear that the number of children receiving this protection had fallen very
drastically as a result of this policy. It is to be re-assessed. Vaccine giving
protection against measles was issued by the Department of Health, and
offered to those eligible. The case for giving measles vaccine in this
country where the disease is generally mild, is by no means as clear cut as
for more dangerous illnesses. The vaccine itself can produce reactions including
a mild attack of a measles type illness, and these ware noted, without
any worrying adverse results being reported.
For tables see Appendix page 130.