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The nurse attends the surgery daily for consultation, and in some cases treats
ambulant patients there. The arrangement is proving satisfactory, although in most
cases it is resulting in an increased case load for the nurse.
In the case of patients of the other practices, home nurses continued to maintain
a close liaison with the general medical practitioner responsible for the patient's
care. Here again, the work of the home nurse is performed under the personal
direction of the doctor concerned.
Use of Ancillary Help
A local survey in 1966 showed that a large number of visits solely for the
bathing of patients could be undertaken by less skilled staff working under the
supervision of home nurses. One full-time and two part-time nursing auxiliaries
were appointed to undertake this work and this arrangement continued to work
very well.
Ministry of Health Circular 32/68 on the use of ancillary help in local authority
nursing services drew attention to the advantages of employing staff such as nursing
auxiliaries in order to make the best use of qualified home nurses, and confirmed
our conclusions of 1966.
Training of Staff of Other Agencies
Student nurses from the three major local hospitals and the Middlesex Hospital,
W.C.1, continued to spend time accompanying home nurses on visits to patients as
part of their training.
In addition, lectures on the home nursing service continued to be given to
student nurses at the hospitals periodically by the Superintendent of the Home
Nursing Service.
(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 also approved proposals for immunisation against
whooping cough, poliomyelitis, tetanus and measles. Approval was given three
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.
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