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This working relationship and personal contact between hospitals and
health departments is a most useful one for both sides and a better service
to the patients can be given with such a link.
Study days arranged by the Edgware General Hospital with the
geriatric departments nursing sisters and study days arranged by the
Hospital tutors have been attended by health visitors and found to be
instructive and enjoyable.
Study days at Mount Vernon Hospital have also been attended by
some representatives from the Harrow health visting and nursing staff.
Meetings between the Principal Tutor and senior health visiting staff have
taken place to discuss the needs of student nurses and their programmes in
the community health field.
Mothers Clubs
Three mothers clubs have continued during 1970, the eldest being the
one at Kenmore Clinic. Northolt Road Clinic's mothers club is a most
active group of mothers and runs under the supervision of a 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 committees.
The third 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. Very artistic posters
advertising the club meetings and the central position of the clinic has
helped to attract a large number of interested young mothers to this
social function.
Discussion Groups
Discussion groups with a psychiatrist have continued for the greater
part of the year. Informal seminars have been arranged in groups of 6-8
health visitors 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 helpful. Special attention has been given to support
patients following bereavement; the special need for understanding of this
type of support has been brought to light by the staff members in follow
up work of the elderly following the loss of a partner over the age of 65
years.
During 1970, notified deaths of 1,056 people over the age of 65 were
referred for follow up visits, of these, 69 had already been known to health
visitors. Out of 732 households visited, 441 had elderly relatives or friends
left; of these 159 were kept on record for further visiting. There was no
access to 324 households.