View report page

24
The liaison scheme whereby a Health Visitor attends the Paediatric
Department at Edgware General Hospital continued during the year and
has proved to be of great value. The interchange of useful clinical and
social information concerning the child patient acts for his or her benefit.
This "getting together" of the hospital and the local health authority
services is a first class idea and it is hoped that similar liaison schemes
with other branches of the services may be instituted in the not too
distant future.
Home visiting of the elderly increased greatly during the year, when
517 such visits were carried out following requests from general practitioners,
medical social workers and voluntary organisations, etc. In some
cases, one or two visits may be sufficient to sort out the problem or
problems, but in other cases, the situation often demands a "regular
call" to see that everything is satisfactory and that the old person is
coping with life These supported visits are of the utmost importance
and are becoming more and more part of the routine work of the
Health Visitor.
It will be remembered from last year's report, mention was made
of the introduction, by way of experiment, of fathercraft classes at two
clinics in the Borough. This year, the classes were held in the Caryl
Thomas Clinic as being more central for the whole of the area. A course
of four lectures was held six times during the year and 10 to 12 fathers
attended the classes. Appreciation of these lectures from the husbands
has been expressed and a more satisfactory understanding and management
has followed the return of mother and child to the home after the
confinement of the first baby in hospital. In addition, twelve film
evenings were held for expectant mothers and their husbands on alternate
months at Honeypot Lane Clinic and Cecil Park Clinic. Attendances
ranged from 40 to 65 each evening. These film shows are of good value
as, after the films, question and answer sessions usually ensue, thus
presenting the ideal situation for health education.
Health classes on a variety of topics have also been held in some
schools during the year. These classes were held during one term at
Blackwell, Camrose and Roxeth Manor. In addition, a series of talks
were given at Downer Grammar to a class of 10 to 12 girls, all interested
in social careers, such as nursing, occupational therapy, welfare work,
teaching and medicine.
In previous years, the Health Visitors helped out in the field work
associated with medical and social research projects and in the latter
part of the year were, and still are, very much involved in the Measles
Vaccines Trials, details of which are given in the section on Infectious
Diseases.
The routine work of health and advice to the family, and the general
workings of the department, was explained to over one hundred student
nurses from the Middlesex and Edgware General Hospitals. This was