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Psychiatric treatment is becoming more readily available In prison and efforts are being made to
provide employment for prisoners on discharge, both of which help to ease their return to the community.
It is essential that these families should have advice on family planning and fortunately some of
the new methods are more suitable for mothers who are of sub-normal intelligence. One mother who has
been specially grateful for family planning advice has had seven babies in five years. It Is anticipated
that this family will soon be out of their difficulties and that the parents will be able to manage their
own affairs.
I would like to express my appreciation to so many who have helped during the year by providing
furniture, clothing, holidays and toys, etc. Also to voluntary agencies and colleagues who co-operate
so closely with me in this work".
Co-ordinating Committee for Work in Connection with Problem Families
The Joint Committee of Chairmen of the Health and Welfare, Housing and Children's Committees
asked that a Committee be set up to co-ordinate work in connection with problem families in order to
reduce the overlap of visiting by officers from different organisations who might not be aware of the
work carried out by their colleagues and, in addition, to allocate responsibility for dealing with problem
families to the officer principally concerned.
The Co-ordinating Committee meets at monthly intervals and after a short formal discussion on
policy matters the different members of the Committee meet for case conferences. During the year 80
cases were considered.
During the first year the Medical Officer of Health was Chairman of the Co-ordinating Committee
and the undermentioned were members or represented:-
Family Service Unit
National Assistance Board
Senior Probation Officers
N.S.P.C.C.
Children's Officer
Housing Manager
Chief Welfare Officer
Superintendent Health Visitor
Chief Mental Welfare Officer
Health Department Social Worker
HOME NURSING SERVICE
In May, the Authority became agents for the Marie Curie Memorial Foundation, which is a voluntary
society enabling service to be given to needy patients either in kind, that is, clothing, equipment,
materials, or day or night nursing for people suffering from terminal carcinoma. It is found to be invaluable
in aiding the patient immediately the need arises.
In June, all the district nurses attended a one-day visit to the rehabilitation medical centre at
Camden, in the interest of extending their knowledge of physiotherapy for the housebound patient.
Areorganisation of the home nurses' areas took place in October 1965, when the home nurses were
put on a five-day week. This gave them every other weekend off and a day off during the week. They
work in groups of four, having discussion groups weekly at centres within their area of practice. Late
night visits continue to be made to very ill patients requiring general nursing care and/or sedatives. This
system was reorganised into a rota, thus giving each nurse one late night per week instead of leaving the
nurse in whose area the ill patient was living, the full burden of the late night call.
Requests for home nursing visits out of office hours, that is, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and weekend from
Saturday midday until Monday morning at 9 a.m., were taken over by the Whittington Hospital night service.
If urgent, they were passed on to the senior nurse on duty and if not urgent, retained until the following
morning. This service works very well and we are grateful to the Whittington Hospital for their cooperation.
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