London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Havering 1965

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Havering]

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UNMARRIED MOTHERS
Some unmarried mothers were cared for by the normal maternity
service, but twenty-four were aided by the Chelmsford Moral
Welfare Association. This voluntary organisation acting as the
Council's agents undertake care during the ante-natal period and
arranges admission to one of several Mother and Baby Homes.
HOME NURSING (DISTRICT NURSING)
The duties of this group of staff are to provide nursing care
in the home, at the request of the family doctor, to maternity cases
or to persons with illness or disability.
At the end of the year the staff consisted of 25 full-time and 9
part-time State Registered Nurses, including four nurses attached
to groups of general practitioners and six male nurses. Employment
of the latter enabled the female nurses to be relieved of the
lifting and bathing of heavy male patients.
During 1965 the Home Nurses, together with the Health Visitors,
assisted in the field work training of seventy student nurses
from Oldchurch and St. George's hospitals. Statistics on this service
are given in Table 4. The especial value of home nursing
in the case of the elderly population is clear.

Table 4—HOME NURSING

NumberAges
Under 5 yrs.5-64 yrs.Over 65 yrs.
Total number of persons nursed during the year2,078567671,255
Number of visits made during year49,34136015,62233,359

SICK ROOM EQUIPMENT
A large range of sickroom equipment is available on loan to
persons being nursed at home.
This service, which is supplemented by the issue of disposable
pads and a laundry service, is the subject of an ever increasing
demand.
Table No. 5 shows the number of articles issued during the
year.
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