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18
Professional Nursing in the Home.
(1) General.— The Greater Ealing Nursing Association continues
to perform most valuable work in meeting the need for sick
nursing in the homes of the people. There are now five nurses
on the staff, one of whom has to devote her time almost entirely
to the Greenford area. During the year the nurses made 15,554
visits. These visits were concerned with 557 patients.
The newly added area of Northolt has not yet come within
the scheme. The area is so widely scattered that the nurse serving
the Greenford area cannot deal with cases in Northolt. At the
present time the population in Northolt is too small to require the
services of a whole-time nurse, but it is increasing so rapidly that
at no distant date a whole-time district nurse will be required.
It seems desirable that some steps should be taken by the
Greater Ealing Nursing Association to include Northolt within
their purview and to arrange for a nurse visiting that area as
required by the patients. A small local committee might stimulate
interest in the Nursing Association and arrange for the collection
of contributions from residents. The Provident Scheme which
has been so successful in the Greenford and Hanwell areas might
very well be established in Northolt.
(2) Infectious Diseases.—-The Nursing Association receives a
grant from the Ealing Town Council for supplying nursing assistance
for children under five years of age suffering from ophthalmia
neonatorum, measles, whooping cough, poliomyelitis and diarrhoea.
(3) Midwives.—In the Borough there are in practice 26 midwives,
five of whom are on the staff of the Maternity Hospital.
The Town Council in its scheme of Maternity and Child Welfare
does not employ any particular midwife when supplying maternity
aid for women in necessitous circumstances. The midwife nearest
the patient's residence is engaged and paid by the Council. As
the work of all the midwives in the district has been found to be
very satisfactory any one of them may be engaged with confidence.