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36
Eight Health Visitors are attached to General Practices and
two more attachments are in preparation. The furthering of closer
ties between General Practitioner, hospital and community services
continues to the benefit of the patient. It is emphasised that the
Health Visitor cannot fully exercise her potential as a health
educator and adviser where she has no suitable premises in which
to conduct private interviews, group teaching and to be available
to the public. It may well be that where there is no room available
for consultation with the Health Visitor, a small difficulty which
could have been overcome by her immediate action, may be
delayed and a greater problem develop. The fact that her advice
is demanded is advanced as a proof of the need to be met in this
direction.
The number of cases was 32,501, of which 15,163 were children
aged five or under, and 330 were persons aged 65 or over.
HOME NURSING
Mrs. J. Symington, s.r.n., s.c.m., d.d.n.
Superintendent, Home Nursing Service
During the year a much closer working relationship has been
established with the geriatric departments of local hospitals, with
the result that far more elderly patients are being nursed at home.
The number of terminal carcinoma cases nursed at home has
doubled, and where necessary night nursing care has been provided
in conjunction with Marie Curie Memorial Foundation.
The incidence of sickness among the professional staff was
very high and this occasionally led to the curtailment of some
services, but these were restored at the first opportunity. Fortunately,
the local Red Cross Nursing Service gave their usual very
willing and able assistance which considerably relieved the nurses'
work load.
Training of District Nurses by arrangement with other authorities
has continued.
3,267 persons were nursed during the year, of whom 1,436
were aged 65 or over and 12 were aged under 5.
A total of 114,065 visits was made during 1968.
VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION
During the year the revised schedule of immunisation as,
approved by the Department of Health and Social Security was