View report page

92
Health Visiting— Investigations.— An increasing amount of the
time of health visiting staff has been given to "follow up" in connection
with investigations. These have included the Medical
Research Council's B.C.G. Trials, Prematurity, the Population
Investigation of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
and Institute of Child Health (University of London), and
iastly, Breast Feeding.
Liaison with Hospital Services.—Health visitors and school
nurses, as well as medical staff, continued to attend ward rounds of
Dr. Hinden, Pediatrician, Whipps Cross Hospital, who holds a
fortnightly session at the Town Hall Clinic.
The Health Visitor and the General Practitioner. -Every
ooportunity has been taken to make known the ways in which the
Health Visitor can help the Family Doctor.
General.— The Superintendent Health Visitor, Mrs. J. Foulkes,
S.R.N., S.C.M., H.V.Cert., reports the following:—
"This has been another busy year for the Health Visiting
Staff. Visits to the aged and to problem families have taken up
more of the Health Visitors' time than formerly.
" Health Education is making an increasing demand on the
energies of the Health Visitor and during the year more time
was again devoted to the teaching of Mothercraft to school girls
and expectant mothers. Mothercraft talks for girls are now
being given or have been arranged in all secondary modern
Schools in the Borough. This instruction is given to prepare
for approaching parenthood and to avoid, if possible, the
ignorance which leads to so many problems.
"The Health Visiting Staff have again co-operated in the
practical training of students.
"Eight final year students from nearby hospitals have been
given practical training in the Public Health field, involving
home visiting, attendance at Infant Welfare Clinics and a Case
Conference held to discuss cases visited by the students.
"In the period under review, two Health Visitor Students
from the South East Essex Technical College have carried out
three months of their practical training in the Borough. They
were allocated to specific Health Visitors who correlated the
practical and theoretical work of the students.
" Four Student Nursery Nurses visited Infant Welfare, Antenatal
and other clinics in order to meet the requirements of the
National Nursery Examinations Board, and were instructed and
advised by Members of the Health Visiting Staff.
"Throughout the year pupil midwives from Thorpe Coombe
Maternity Hospital attended the Welfare Clinics. Each pupil