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generally a waiting list for admissions. More medico-social cases have been admitted ana
the day nurseries are taking a part in preventive medicine.
Fewer recommendations for convalescence for mothers and children have been received
during the year.
It is pleasing to be able to record the drop in the infant and neo-natal mortality
rates.
The number of home confinements varies by only one from the figure for last year.
Approximately 80% of the births take place in adjacent maternity hospitals. The home nurse
midwives still have difficulty in arranging the practical domiciliary training that is
necessary for the pupil midwives.
There have been staffing difficulties in the Health Visiting Service during the year
and at no time had we a full establishment. A number of advertisements in the Nursing Press
brought no applications and it would appear that it is difficult to recruit staff in an
area such as this without the extra inducements of housing and provision of cars which
appertain in some areas.
The visiting of the elderly (and there are almost a thousand in this category who are
on the Register and receiving regular visits) takes up a considerable amount of time of the
health visitors. Visits of this nature are more time consuming than visits to mothers and
their children as old people like to talk and indulge in reminiscences and, in fact they
are loathe to let the visitor depart as many of them are "victims of loneliness".
The Home Nurses continue to carry out their excellent work and the co-operation that
exists between them and the medical and nursing staff of the Department is exemplary.
Compared to last year there is a 100% increase in the number of primary vaccinations
against smallpox and 500% increase in the number of re vaccinations. This was due to the
outbreaks of smallpox in neighbouring boroughs in the middle of the year.
The decrease in the numbers immunised against diphtheria is regrettable as only by a
high rate of immunisation can the disease be really controlled.
The figures for 1957 show that half as many children were immunised by general practitioners
and 20% fewer by the County Council staff than in the previous year. Both medical
and nursing staff are unremitting in their propaganda for immunisation however, as so many
of the present day mothers have not seen a case of diphtheria or have never heard of deaths
from the disease they are indifferent to this valuable preventive measure.
"Booster" doses were also fewer five times in respect of immunisation by general
medical practitioners and 20% in respect of the County Council's medical staff.
Vaccination against poliomyelitis during 1957 was carried out as far as supplies of
vaccine allowed.
I am indebted to the County Medical Officer of Health for the statistics relating
to the Ambulance Service, and I record my appreciation of the co operation that exists
with the staff attached to the local Ambulance Station.
The figures of attendances at the three foot clinics show a small increase on the
previous year. The 'waiting' time for treatment varies from clinic to clinic, however,
overall it is between 11 - 13 weeks. I can see no chance of improvement in this period of
time between treatments owing to the staff difficulties and accommodation together with
the problem of an increase in foot conditions with an ageing population.
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