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were made through the Middlesex County Council's Ambulance Control
ceased on the 31st March 1965. However, through the kind co-operation
of the Harefield and Northwood Group Hospital Management Committee,
all “Night Calls” are now made to Harrow Hospital. This arrangement
is working very well and the kind action of the Hospital Management
Committee is very much appreciated.
Training of Pupil Midwives
Arrangements for the training of pupil midwives continued during
the year. The majority come from Bushey Maternity Hospital and are
attached to a teaching midwife, who supervises their three months domiciliary
training in preparation for Part 2 of the examination of the Central
Midwives Board. Twenty pupils attended during the year.
Maternity Services—Catchment Areas
The maternity catchment areas brought into use in 1964 have worked
well. The idea is that each district is linked to a particular maternity
hospital or hospitals and it would be that hospital's responsibility to provide
the necessary maternity services for its particular district. The Borough
of Harrow is linked with the Boroughs of Brent and Barnet in Area 3
catchment area and on a district basis receives its maternity hospital
services from the Edgware General and Kingsbury Maternity Hospitals.
As a result of this scheme, calls on the Emergency Bed Service seeking
admission for a maternity patient have practically disappeared.
Section 24—Heath Visiting
During the year 1965, the Health Visiting establishment was again
under strength. Several appointments were made during the year but these
gains are usually offset by other members of the team moving away to
other districts. To relieve the health visiting staff of the more routine clinic
duties and also some of the duties under the school health service, clinic
nurses were appointed. When clinic nurses are appointed, efforts are made
to select possible candidates for training as Health Visitors under the
sponsored training scheme. Out of three nurses appointed, two were
selected for training and commenced their studies in September 1965. One
sponsored student completed her course during the year and started working
as a Health Visitor in July 1965.
Training of Health Visitors
The new syllabus for the training of Health Visitors started in
September 1965. The training is spread over one year instead of the previous
period of nine months. In addition, the training requires more intensive
practical training under the supervision of Field Work Instructors. These
are Senior Health Visitors who have been specially selected as suitable
practical teachers and have had an additional course of training for this