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39
Father craft classes were arranged in two clinics as in previous years.
Three lectures were 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.
Liaison Schemes with Local Hospitals
A health visitor has continued to attend the paediatric clinic at
Edgware General Hospital. She informs the health visitors concerned of
any difficulties in the progress of patients in the care of the hospital. Many
"At Risk" babies are followed up at the paediatric clinic after discharge
from the hospital. The liaison health visitor visits the maternity ward
weekly; she also visits the paediatric wards and attends a case conference
weekly with the paediatrician, psychiatrist, social worker, ward sister and
teacher to discuss special cases at present in the care of the hospital.
The liaison scheme for the elderly between Roxbourne Hospital and a
member of the health visiting team has continued for a further year.
The liaison scheme with the geriatric unit at Edgware General
Hospital has continued. This personal contact has meant that information
could be easily and quickly transmitted from hospital to other health
visitor colleagues, and vice versa.
The liaison health visitor has joined the geriatric team on several
occasions, when they have been asked to speak about the problems of the
aged to lay and professional groups, both locally and further afield.
The liaison scheme with Kingsbury Maternity Hospital has continued
for a further year. Two Health Visitors attend for a series of four weeks at
the paediatric out-patient clinic held by Dr. Barrie from the Charing Cross
Hospital group.
Discussions take place in conjunction with the clinic between medical
students, health visitors and pupil midwives.
Valuable information can be exchanged between the specialist and the
health visitor, both being involved with the same patients and in turn
this information is passed on to other health visitors and clinic doctors.
A rota system allowing all health visitors to attend, makes it possible
to keep in touch with new teaching methods, new drugs and new hospital
techniques. In October 1970, a health visitor was invited to attend the
paediatric follow up clinic as a permanent member of the clinic team as an
additional advisor to all the mothers at this clinic. The aim has been to
narrow the gap between hospitals and home and to assist and support
mothers with the problems associated with their new infants and with the
assistance of the medical nursing and clerical staff in the hospital, the
scheme is developing successfully.