View report page

Deputy Superintendent. Both ladies are under the immediate
control of the Senior Assistant Medical Officer.
In supplying the figures set out above, it is quite impossible
to present an adequate picture of the work of a Health Visitor.
The duties of the modern Health Visitor have been greatly extended
since the coming into force of the National Health Service Act.
Thus, their duties are no longer confined to the care of mothers
and children under the age of five ; they are now expected to
undertake much wider duties, including the care of the aged and
close liaison with general practitioners working in the districts for
which they are responsible. The influence which Health Visitors
can bring to bear on mothers during visits to the home or during
talks at the clinic, is invaluable. Their work in regard to schools
and school children is of equal importance.
Our Health Visitors are allocated to main clinics, from which
they operate. They are thus enabled to get to know their district,
and to establish close and cordial relationship with the mothers
with whom they come into contact. In like way, each Health
Visitor is allocated several schools in the same district, so that their
work among children under five and school children can be closely
integrated and will follow on as a natural sequence. We encourage
Health Visitors to visit schools, to consult with Head Teachers, and
to be aware of problems as they arise.
We are fortunate in the fact that many of our Health Visitors
have worked in this Area for a number of years. We are thus able
to build on a solid foundation, which is of the very greatest help
to us in our work.
8. MIDWIFERY SERVICE
The number of births which occurred in Area No. 2 during
1953 was just over 2,000. Of these, approximately 80% took place
in hospitals and nursing homes ; the remainder were domiciliary
cases. Almost all the domiciliary cases were attended by our own
midwives, 242 in the capacity of midwife, 153 as maternity nurse.
In attending these cases, more than 7,000 visits were made, an
average of approximately 18 visits per case. In addition, a percentage
of the children born in hospitals and nursing homes were
discharged sufficiently early to become, for a time, the responsibility
of a domiciliary midwife. These cases accounted for a
total of 225 visits.
At the beginning of 1953 there were nine midwives on the staff.
During the year two midwives left, one to be married and the
other to take up a post in Indonesia. The approval of the County
Council was obtained to replace these midwives, although considerable
difficulty was experienced in filling both vacancies.
Thanks to the generosity of the Potters Bar Urban District Council,
we have obtained the provision of a flatlet, which has recently been
55