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HEALTH EDUCATION
Health Education should not be a separate section of the work
of the Health Department, but must permeate into every member
of the staff's daily work.
By the health visitors it is carried out during the course of
home visits by help and advice and by group teaching in clinics,
clubs and women's guilds, and by the public health inspectors in
their daily round of food premises and of house inspection.
Relaxation classes for expectant mothers are held regularly
every week, an average of four sessions per week, and great benefit
is derived from these not only in the teaching of relaxation during
childbirth, but in the lessons on mothercraft given during these
classes. Diet, feeding, clothing, hygiene and general care are
taught and discussed.
During the year talks have been given on a variety of subjects
by the medical and health visiting staff and public health inspectors.
"Accidents in the Home," "The Work of the Health Visitor,"
"Problem Families," "The Work of the Tuberculosis After-Care
Committee," "The Problems of Cancer "and" Food Hygiene"
are among some of the subjects dealt with.
Series of lectures were given to Civil Defence and Red Cross
recruits, and to Domestic Helps attending the courses on child care,
food values and food hygiene, first aid in the home, and the care
of the tuberculosis patient.
A useful link with the hospital services are the visits of student
nurses to the department to observe the work of the health visitors,
and one health visitor attends the local hospitals to give lectures
on public health work.