View report page

Liaison with Hospital Services.—Health visitors and school
nurses, as well as medical staff, continued to attend ward rounds af
Dr. E. Hinden, Paediatrician, Whipps Cross Hospital, who holds a
fortnightly session at the Town Hall Clinic.
General.—The Superintendent Health Visitor, Mrs. J. Foulkes,
S.R.N., S.C.M., H.V.Cert., reports the following:—
"During 1956 health visiting followed a similar pattern to
that of the previous year. Visits to the aged and to problem
families again took up a large part of the time. This is to be
expected because of the increase in the number of aged people.
"Health education, a very important part of the health
visitor's work, demanded a lot of their energies. Mothercraft
talks are now being given in all secondary modern schools in
the Borough. Relaxation classes are held weekly at three of the
ante-natal clinics in the Borough and instruction given in
the preparation for the confinement, the mechanism of labour,
and the use of gas and air apparatus. Discussions were stimulated
on suitable layettes, the importance of well-balanced diets,
and fresh air and exercise during pregnancy.
"The Health Visiting Staff co-operated in the practical
training of the following:—
(a) Final year nursing students from The Connaught Hospital
spent two days each in the Public Health field for practical
training. They spent a half day home visiting, and for the
remainder of the time attended at infant welfare clinics and
minor ailment clinics. This year the field widened to include
medical and hygiene inspections in schools.
(b) Two health visitor students from South East Essex
Technical College carried out three months of their practical
training in the Borough. Again they were allocated to specific
health visitors in order to preserve continuity and to correlate
their practical and theoretical work.
(c) Another two health visitor students were given practical
training in the tuberculosis field.