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Maternity Services Liaison Committee
No matter came up for discussion during the
year so this Committee did not sit Meetings
are held at the discretion of the Chairman who
in a letter dated December 1968 indicated
he would be calling a meeting very shortly
Health Visiting - Section 24
The National Health Service Act 1946 laid
upon local authorities a duty to provide a
complete health visiting service for the whole
family The primary function of the health
visitor is to provide social advice and health
education for the family and to recognise any
departure from normal at an early stage when
help can be most effective Today health
visiting involves the application of a wide
range of health and social knowledge to a
diversity of families in many differing
circumstances The most important part of
the health visitor s work lies in the homes of
the families which she visits but other
opportunities for health visitors to discuss
subjects relevant to health are afforded at
ante and post natal child health and mothercraft
and relaxation clinic sessions and at
various taIks and demonstrations she is able
to give Her work involves close liaison with
general practitioners clinic doctors midwives
hospital medical and social work departments
and other agencies including the voluntary
organisations
The growth of health centres a better
liaison with hospitals the care and management
of patients now discharged earlier from
hospitals is inevitably leading to increased
work for the health visitor in her efforts to
mobilise appropriate resources when required
and to provide support during periods of
stress During routine home visiting the health
visitor is often the first person to become
aware of the needs of aged persons and is in
a position to judge how far these needs can
be met within the family circle When needs
cannot be met in this way the health visitor
liaises with other services provided by the
local authority and voluntary agencies as well
as with the family doctor
Nowadays much of a health visitor s time
is also taken up with special investigations
and research projects concerning certain
groups of children or families or it may be the
follow-up of a new prophylactic measure
In the widening horizon of medicine today it
is desirable that the health visitor should work
in ever closer co-operation with the family doctor
so that he can readily discuss with her any family
needing advice or social help A beginning has
already been made in the borough towards this
goal by the attachment of some health visitors to
family doctors practising in the new health centres
and elsewhere
This trend will be steadily extended to the
mutual advantage of all concerned
Staff
The establishment for health visitors if 34 At the
end of the year the staff consisted of one chief
nursing officer one principal nursing officer and
the whole-time equivalent of 24 health visitors and
10 clinic nurses The sudden death on 6th May of
Miss E.L. Donovan who held the post of superintendent
health visitor for 19 years precipitated a
reconstruction of the senior nursing establishment
which now appears as set out on pages 8 and 9
Training
During the year two health visitors attended a field
workers instructor course at Chiswick Polytechnic
One of the health visitors attended a refresher
course All health visitors in rotation are receiving
a special in-training course held at Fulham Hospital
each health visitor being attached to a group of
paediatricians and acting as a member of the team
during one week of the year Two of the health
visitors have also visited a display of new health
education films made by Camera Talks The
principal medical officer for maternity and child
health and the principal nursing officer attended a
weekend seminar held at the University of Warwick
and also a two day course at Lewisham Town Hall
where much discussion took place on the various
implications of the new Ministry circulars on the
day care of children under five Thanks is due to
the London Borough s Training Committee for
arranging this opportunity for a full and frank
discussion on the many aspects arising out of the
recent circulars and to the council for sending my
representatives
Students
The borough has sponsored 7 student health visitors
this year an increase of 2 over the previous year
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