View report page

During 1963, the Health Visitors paid 21,339 visits as follows:—
Visits to Children under 5 years of age 15,790
Tuberculous households 3,199
The aged 1,054
Schoolchildren 568
Other cases 728
As an indication of the trend of increasing care required for
the elderly and infirm in their own homes, it is interesting to compare
the number of visits to the aged in 1962 (571) with those for 1963.
which, as shown above total 1,054.
Co-ordination of Domiciliary Services with the General Practitioners
The arrangement whereby one of the Midwives was allocated
to a group practice, was extended during the year, by the allocation
of a Health Visitor to the same group. The Health Visitor concerned
reports that this arrangement leads to a much closer contact
with the families, and simplifies the work for families with problems
as it is much easier to discuss difficulties with a doctor. Co-operation
between the General Practitioner and Health Visitor ensures a twoway
exchange of information which benefits the patients, and, as the
family doctor knows the old people on his list, renders survey work
of the needs of the elderly much easier. An ante-natal clinic, a Child
Welfare clinic and Mothercraft and Relaxation classes were held
at the surgery each week, which means that there is a greater contact
with the mothers both before and after the birth of the child,
which renders visiting of the children much easier, as the Health
Visitor, like the Midwife is recognised as a part of the health team
associated with the family doctor.
This arrangement has proved extremely successful due to the
co-operation between the general practitioners and their staff. and
the Health Visitor and Midwife. The surgery is a new spacious
building with adequate accommodation for the secondment of
Local Authority Nursing Staff. Without these ideal conditions, fulltime
secondment would be difficult.
Health Education
The Health Visitor includes aspects of Health Education in her
duties, and therefore early in 1963, Mrs. Ledden, one of the Health
Visitors, particularly interested in this part of the Health Service.
page 24