View report page

38
In April 1965 the dental staff employed on General Dental
Service work will be leaving the Essex Executive Council and coming
under the authority of the new North East London Executive Council.
The staff look forward to establishing the same happy relationship
that has always been enjoyed with the Essex Executive Council.
Section 22 CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Priority Dental Service
The statistical details of patients inspected and treated during
the year are given on page 49 of this Report.
The figures indicate an increase in the number of fillings for
pre-school children, but more could be done if only mothers would
take full advantage of the facilities offered for their children. It
is to be hoped that increased dental health education will bring
more requests for treatment.
Section 23 MIDWIFERY
During the year one full-time midwife retired, and another
resigned her appointment to take up district nursing elsewhere. It
was possible to recruit a replacement midwife immediately with the
result that the total staff now employed is 6 whole-time midwives
and 3 district nurse/midwives. A further whole-time midwife will
shortly take up her appointment to complete the establishment. In
view of the continuing National shortage of practising midwives the
local situation is very satisfactory.
The number of home deliveries was 538 and there were 293 48-hour
hospital discharges, representing increases of 30 and 17 respectively
compared with 1963.
Twenty pupil midwives from Thorpe Coombe Maternity Hospital
undertook their district midwifery training at the Nurses Home and
all passed the examination.
The district midwives attended lectures given at Thorpe
Coombe on the use of the new drug Syntometrine and it has now been
made available for use.
Disposable gloves and mucous extractors have been supplied and
this has contributed to an all round improvement in the standard of
equipment provided.
It is gratifying to be able to report that there exists an
excellent relationship and close liaison between the doctors and
district midwives in Walthamstow.