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Liaison with General Practitioners
Although none of the Home Nurses is attached to any of the general medical
practices, a close liaison is maintained, in the case of individual patients, with the
doctors responsible for their care. In such cases the work of the home nurse is
performed under the personal direction of the doctor concerned.
Use of Ancillary Help
A survey in 1966 showed that a large number of visits for bathing patients
could be undertaken by less skilled staff working under the supervision of home
nurses and one full-time and two part-time nursing auxiliaries were appointed to
undertake this work. This arrangement is working very well.
(See Statistical Table 16)
VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION
Under Section 26 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, every local health
authority is required to make arrangements with medical practitioners for the
vaccination of persons in the area of the authority against smallpox, and the
immunisation of such persons against diphtheria.
The Minister of Health has also approved proposals for immunisation against
whooping cough, poliomyelitis and tetanus. Approval was given two years ago for
the vaccination against anthrax of workers in specified industries but there are no
such workers known to be at risk in this borough.
The Ministry of Health Circular CMO 20/67 gave notice that the Joint
Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation had recently reviewed the existing
schedules of immunisation in childhood, and were reconsidering their replacement
by a single schedule. Circulars were expected to be sent to Local Health Authorities
and Executive Councils early in 1968.
Vaccination and immunisation is provided jointly by the general medical practitioner
and local health authority services.
The Statement of Fees and Allowances payable to General Medical Practitioners
in England and Wales, prepared by the Minister of Health under Regulation
22 of the National Health Service (General Medical Pharmaceutical Services)
Regulations, 1966, included vaccination and immunisation as an item of service
for which fees are directly payable to a practitioner by Executive Councils. On the
1st April this method of payment superseded the arrangement whereby a fee was
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