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PERSONAL HEALTH
Liaison with
hospitals
Liaison with local hospitals in the paediatric, maternity and geriatric units was extended. This helped
to ensure continuity of care between hospital and the rest of the community.
Liaison with
general
practitioners
General practice attachment arrangements have developed, there now being fourteen health visitors
working with a total of 41 general medical practitioners.
Relaxation
and mothercraft
Relaxation and mothercraft classes for expectant mothers were held regularly and evening showings of
the film "To Janet — a Son? " for parents-to-be continued to prove popular.
Slimmers
advisory courses
Slimmers advisory courses continued to be held at Bullsmoor Clinic and at the Health Centre where
an additional evening session was introduced. Referrals were made by general practitioners, hospital
medical staff, health visitors and school medical officers.
Ancillary
help
State registered nurses were employed to assist at medical inspections in the schools, to carry out
hygiene inspections in primary schools, to assist at minor ailments and child health clinics. Clerical help
continued to be provided. We are grateful to the many voluntary workers who help with the routine
non-professional work of the child health clinics.
Training of staff
of other agencies
Student nurses from the North Middlesex, Chase Farm, Great Ormond Street and the Middlesex
Hospitals spent a day observing the work of health visitors and school nurses. Our health visitor group
advisers gave talks and took part in discussions on community care in the nurse training schools.
See Table (18).
Section 25
National Health
Service Act 1946
Section 11
Health Services
and Public Health
Act 1968
Home nursing
The provision of nurses to attend persons in their own homes and elsewhere included a reciprocal
arrangement with Hertfordshire County Council for nursing staff attached to general practitioners to
attend their patients residing on either side of the border.
Marie Curie
Memorial Foundation
During the year increasing use was made of the Marie Curie night nursing service for terminal cancer
patients. Nurses were provided through a local nurses' agency for nineteen patients.
Evening nursing
service
The evening nursing service has proved of inestimable value for seriously ill patients and a tremendous
support for their relatives.
Liaison with
general practitioners
There has been no further increase in group practice attachments but a good liaison was maintained
between the nursing staff and general practitioners not involved in attachment schemes.
Liaison with
hospitals
District nurses attended the geriatric ward rounds at two local hospitals and the nursing problems of
patients being discharged home were discussed, facilitating continuity of patient care.
Ancillary help
Nursing auxiliaries continued to assist the district nurses with the more routine tasks of bathing the
frail, elderly and disabled patients.
Training
Three student district nurses qualified for the National Certificate in District Nursing and two more
commenced the Winter course at the North West Polytechnic. Two members of the staff qualified as
Practical Work Instructors in order to assist with the practical training of students. Student nurses
from North Middlesex, Chase Farm, Great Ormond Street, and The Middlesex Hospitals spent a day
observing the work of district nurses. The Superintendent of the Home Nursing Service gave talks and
took part in discussions on community care. See Table (19).
Section 26,
National Health
Service Act 1946
Vaccination and immunisation
Vaccination and immunisation are provided jointly by the general medical practitioner and local
health authority services under Section 26 of the National Health Service Act 1946.
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