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HOME NURSING
Under Section 25 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, it is the duty of
every local health authority to make provision in their area for securing the attendance
of nurses on persons who require nursing in their own homes.
Ministry of Health Circular 31/68 drew attention to Section 11 of the Health
Services and Public Health Act, 1968, and indicated that it enables local health
authorities to make provision for the attendance of home nurses on persons who
require nursing elsewhere than in their own homes, the aim being to facilitate
co-operation between general practice and local health authority services. The
section also provides for arrangements between local health authorities for the
services of home nurses employed by one authority to be used by another authority
on agreed terms and conditions.
The number of patients increased to 3,011 and of these 2,151 were 65 years of
age or over and 29 under five years of age. The total number of visits made also
increased considerably to 112,026.
Disposable Equipment
The extended use of disposable equipment in the home nursing service maintained
the improvement in efficiency and safety. All nurses use disposable syringes
and enemata. There continues to be widespread use of disposable incontinence
pads, which are a valuable adjunct to the nursing facilities. Protective clothing in
the form of waterproof pants or knickers with disposable linings was provided for
thirteen ambulant patients during the year.
Marie Curie Memorial Foundation
The Marie Curie Memorial Foundation meets the cost of a service run by
this department which provides day and night nursing and sitter-in care for cancer
patients. The Foundation also provides for extra comforts, special needs, items of
diet and equipment to assist the nursing of these cases. During the year 24 patients
were provided with this service.
At the end of the year, owing to difficulties in recruitment, nurses were no
longer directly employed by the Council under this scheme and instead, arrangements
were made, when necessary, for the provision of a nurse through a Nurses Agency.
Our own home nurses also worked a late evening rota to give morphine injections
to certain cancer patients not being provided with a nursing service under the Marie
Curie Memorial Foundation's scheme.
Liaison with General Practitioners
During 1968, five home nurses were attached to group practices, the nurse
concerned attending only the patients of the practice to which she had been attached.
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