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23
THE WORK OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICE
Miss A. Hayward, A.R.R.C., T.D., S.R.N., S.C.M., H.V.Cert.,
Chief Nursing Officer
The year under review, provided an opportunity for decisions taken
earlier to be consolidated.
Four members of the Asa Briggs Committee on Nursing set up by the
Department of Health and Social Security to review the education and
training of nurses and midwives, spent a day in the Borough meeting the
Medical Officer of Health and Senior Nursing staff in the morning, and a
wide selection of field staff during the afternoon. The discussion on both
occasions was free and lively. Preparing for the visit involved critical
appraisal of past achievements and a re-examination of plans for the development
of the community nursing services. We will never know whether
the team came with preconceived ideas, or what influence Croydon had on
their deliberation, but we were pleased to have been consulted.
Managers in the local authority nursing services have been at a disadvantage
to their colleagues in the hospital service where the provision
of suitable management courses is well established. It was largely due to
the efforts of the Borough Training Officer that Thames Polytechnic were
persuaded to provide management courses designed for middle and first
line managers in the community nursing services. Neighbouring Boroughs
were invited to join what became a useful steering Committee. Involvement
of the local government training board meant that the courses were recognised
tor grant purposes. The advice and help given by the Training Officer
and Nursing Officer from the South West Regional Hospital Board was
greatly appreciated. The projects undertaken as part of the course were
relevant to the work and it is hoped that all Boroughs participating will
eventually have access to this useful material.
Home Nursing Service
In February 1971 about 70 per cent of the registered nurses were
working in attachment schemes and it was becoming increasingly difficult
to have staff deployed on a practice and geographical basis. Where doctors
are working alone, or where for other reasons there are few patients, a
meaningful attachment is not possible. Inevitably, a few members of staff
find it difficult to adjust to an entirely new way of working. To meet the
situation a nurse was made responsible for all the patients registered with
a group of doctors. These nurses are said to be working in alignment with
general practice.
The increase in the number of patients treated in the home is no doubt
due to the attachment of staff to general practice, but the greatest increase
has occurred in the amount of work carried out in practice premises. The