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9
In general the Department continued to function smoothly with
minor changes here and there to meet the ever changing needs of the
various, services. More and more attention is being given to the problem
of working in close co—operation with the general practitioner and
hospital services with the common objective of improving services to the
public and at the same time making the best use of the total personnel
available. Health visitors, home nurses and midwives are now working
in various types of liaison and attachment schemes with general practitioners,
the domiciliary midwives are taking their forty—eight hour
discharge cases into hospital, attending at their delivery, and returning
home with them for nursing in the puerperium. In addition preliminary
discussions are taking place regarding the early discharge from hospital
of certain surgical cases to the care of the general practitioner and the
home nurse. The new district hospital at Northwick Park due to be
functional in 1970 presents a tremendous opportunity for a co—operative
get—together of all medical, nursing and social work services and with
this idea in mind members of the Department took part in several informal
liaison meetings held during the year.
Each year brings its crop of new legislation and that mainly affecting
the Department this year was the Children's and Young Persons Act and
the Housing Act of l969. The former introduces a new concept of casework
within the community and gives effect to proposals outlined in the
White Paper "Children in Trouble". Much wider and more onerous
supervisory and supportive work will be undertaken by the social workers
of the local authority with the main idea where possible of keeping
children out of the courts. The latter Act became law in August 1969
and providing as it does for the conversion of controlled tenancies into
regulated tenancies on the condition that the dwelling concerned has all
the standard amenities, will involve the health inspectorate in much
additional work during 1970.
Apart from continuing difficulties in staffing of the school eye clinics,
the school health services—medical, dental and auxiliary—continued to
function smoothly during the year. The Regional Hospital Board in spite
of repeated advertising were unable to fill the vacancy for an ophthalmic
surgeon for any length of time. The services of a locum surgeon continued
and helped to relieve the situation to some degree. In the meantime efforts
continue to try and make a more permanent appointment. It is pleasing
to report that the general state of health of the school children in the
Borough is of a high order. The number of children born with defects,
which in the past would normally have led to their death but who now
because of advances in medical care, are still alive, is increasing. Many
have continuing problems associated with their general care and as
school age approaches consideration will soon have to be given to see
that they are placed in the most appropriate school environment.
As before this report is the record of work of a department which