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107. The Work of the Health Visitors. At the beginning of
the year there were 5 Health Visitors. 2 additional ones were
appointed by the Council in July and commenced work in
August, so that at the end of the year there were 7. The duties
of Health Visitors are as set out in a Circular of the Local
Government Board dated August, 1918, and are as follows:—
The visiting and supervision of all children under school age
needing this attention: the visiting of expectant mothers
who have attended at an Ante-natal Clinic or for whom visits
are desirable; inquiry into still-births, and the deaths of
young children, and attendance at the Centre to which women
and children come for medical and hygienic advice.
Table No. 48 gives a classification of the number of visits
paid by the Health Visitors during 1918-1919 and 1920, and
from that table it will be seen that there has been an extensive
increase in the variety and in the amount of work done.
108. Administrative action in connection with the Notification
of Births' Act. As soon as a notification of a birth is
received, suitable literature is sent to the mother by post and
it is the practice for the Health Visitor to visit as soon as
possible after the doctor or midwife leaves the patient, usually
between the 10th and 14th day. The necessity for subsequent
visits is gauged by what is discovered at the first, but, as a
general rule, during the latter months of the year, an endeavour
was made to work to the following standard:—4 visits during
the first year; 2 visits in the second year, and one visit in
subsequent years up to school age. This is modified according
to whether the baby is in attendance at one of the Welfare
Centres or not. If the baby is in regular attendance, the necessity
of home visiting is not so urgent. It has been found as
a matter of experience, that very few mothers object to these
visits and that these objectors very often change when they
find that it is not criticism but help and sympathy which is
offered.