View report page

35
Fathercraft classes were arranged in 2 clinics as in previous years.
Three lectures are given during a short course in preparation for the new
duties of the husband in the management of a small baby. The classes have
proved to give practical support to young mothers and prepare husbands
for possible emergencies in the home.
Mothers' Clubs
Three mothers' clubs have been running during 1969. Kenmore Clinic
is the oldest club. Northolt Road Clinic mothers' club is a most active
group of young mothers under the supervision of the health visitor. This
club has an attendance of 20/30 mothers at each meeting. Programmes are
arranged by the mothers and organised by their own committee.
The mothers' club at Caryl Thomas Clinic has proved to be most
popular and well attended. The mothers have arranged interesting
programmes under the guidance of a health visitor. The central position of
the clinic has helped to attract a very large group of interested young
mothers to this social function.
Liaison Schemes with Local Hospitals
A health visitor has continued to attend the paediatric clinic at
Edgware General Hospital. She informs the health visitor concerned of
any difficulties in the progress of patients in the care of the hospital,
mainly 'At Risk' babies who have had special difficulties during confinement
and are followed up by the paediatric clinic after discharge from the
hospital. The liaison health visitor visits the maternity wards weekly to
convey to her colleagues any information from the senior maternity staff
on cases which might experience some difficulties on return home.
The liaison scheme for the elderly between Roxbourne Hospital and a
member of the health visiting team has continued for a further year. The
geriatric department at Edgware General Hospital has arranged an inservice
training course for 10 health visitors from Harrow. Each health
visitor attended the hospital course for 2 weeks to get to know all the
members of the geriatric hospital team and have a full picture of their
work. One health visitor from each base clinic attended and informed the
rest of her clinic team of her newly acquired observations. At the end of
this observation period one health visitor out of the group of ten who had
received this training took the new appointment of liaison health visitor
with the geriatric unit. This personal contact has meant that information
is now easily and quickly transmitted from hospital to other health visitor
colleagues and vice versa. The liaison health visitor has joined the geriatric
team on many occasions when they have been asked to speak about the
problems of the aged to lay and professional groups, both locally and
further afield.