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34
Refresher Courses
Health Visitors attend refresher courses every 5 years to keep up to
date with new trends in the work. Three health visitors were seconded
during the year and one health visitor attended a health education
conference of one week's duration, which proved to be instructive and
stimulating.
Discussion Groups
Discussions with a psychiatrist have continued for the whole year.
Informal discussions in groups of 6-8 health visitors, child care officers and
other social workers take place once a week. These discussions give the
staff the opportunity to receive special guidance with family problems in
the community and have proved to be of great value. All the health visitors
attend in turn on a rota system, the group remaining the same over a
selected period. Each group attends every six weeks.
Liaison with Group Practices
Liaison with group practices has been increased. The established
liaison arrangements have continued and proved to be most beneficial for
the patients of the practices concerned. Liaison is based on a working
arrangement between the general practitioner and health visitor, who
attends the practice once a week for discussion with the general practitioner,
followed by visits to patients in his practice. Different age groups involve
follow up work with young children, marital problems, early mental
depression, menopausal problems, and geriatric visits. This is changing the
function of the health visitor to a wider range of visits to any member of
the family who would benefit by the health visitor's supporting visit.
Liaison arrangements are changed to full attachments if a group of general
practitioners has been formed. Nine liaison arrangements were established
by the end of 1969. General practitioners in the Edgware, North Harrow,
South Harrow, Wealdstone, Harrow Weald, and Kenton districts of the
borough were involved.
Preparation for Confinement
Mothercraft and relaxation classes continue to be held in all clinics
by the health visitor and 8-9 classes are given to expectant mothers during
their later weeks of pregnancy in preparation for the confinement. Full
instructions are given to the expectant mothers in the skills of baby
management, different stages of labour analgesia, diet, immunisation, etc.
The physical and emotional changes in pregnancy are discussed.
Film evenings are arranged in four clinics during the year for
expectant mothers and their husbands, to show the birth of a baby. The
health visitor introduces the film and answers questions after the film.
Sixteen evening films have been shown in 1969.