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The total of individual employees working in the interests of communal health
in Enfield is approximately 800 persons.
As would be expected among a staff of this size many changes took place
during the 12 months concerned in this report. In February we welcomed Dr. H.
Gough-Thomas, who joined us as Principal Medical Officer (Mental Health and
Welfare Service).
Mr. Aufranc resigned his position as dental officer in February, after many
years’ service with Middlesex County Council, and Miss A. Lawson joined us as a
part-time dental officer. The satisfactory work of the dental service has been
achieved with a fluctuating staff, there being at the end of the year four full-time
and ten part-time officers, including orthodontists, giving the full-time equivalent
of 7 6, against an establishment of 11 dentists, including orthodontists, which is
considered necessary to give a satisfactory service.
Mr. J. Pickup, who served as part-time Veterinary Surgeon, resigned his
appointment on the last day of 1966.
Mrs. R. Curtis, who was Deputy Superintendent of the home nursing staff,
resigned in September to become a sponsored student health visitor, who, after
her course of study, will join our health visiting staff. Her place was taken by
Mrs. M. Pickering in September. Home nurses, Mrs. E. M. Knell and Miss E. M.
Selby retired after 20 and 10 years' valued service, respectively.
In regard to the midwives, we have seen little change in personnel. A number
of women engaged in these duties are from the Commonwealth. Indeed, we would
be hard pressed, on occasion, to maintain our nursing service commitments were
it not for our colleagues from overseas.
The recruitment of health visitors and public health inspectors proves to be
difficult, but these are national problems and are not restricted to any one locality.
At the end of the year, the health visiting staff consisted of the Superintendent
and her Deputy, two group advisers, two field work instructors, 23.6 (whole-time
equivalent) health visitors, and three tuberculosis visitors whose work is described
elsewhere. Clinic nurses (a whole-time equivalent of 12.6) were employed to assist
the health visiting staff in duties for which the Health Visitors' Certificate is not
essential, such as nursing duties in clinics and schools.
The public health inspectorate has been three short of establishment.
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