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ment schemes continued to be implemented and
during the year nine health visitor attachment
schemes were arranged with seventeen doctors
working either in group or single practice At
the end of 1970 there was a total of thirty-one
doctors working in thirteen groups or single
practices with an attachment of fifteen health
visitors In January 1971 there will be a
further attachment of eight health visitors to
seventeen doctors working in ten groups
The work of the health visitor remains
primarily preventive and is concerned with
the health of the family as a whole providing
a continuing service to families and individuals
in the community The effect of Section 11 of
the Health Service and Public Health Act 1968
is to widen the areas within which she may
work Health visitors may be expected in future
to carry out their duties not only in people's
homes but also in doctors' surgeries and health
centres usually within general practitioner
attachment schemes Her statutory duty to
visit the mother with a young baby in the home
remains and continuing support to the normal
family is her responsibility Early detection
of deviation from normal in the mental
psychological or social fields is of paramount
importance
The health visitors supportive role to
problem families and families with problems is
still retained and is very much the continuing
link with the family before after and often
during the period of referral to another agency
for specialised help
Participation in research such as the
Obstetric/Chi Id Health Project the Coordination
of Services for the Mentally Subnormal
and the Infective Hepatitis survey have
opened up interesting aspects of work for the
health visitor
Health education in schools has been
requested by several head teachers and health
visitors have welcomed the opportunities
presented
Registration of child minders and pre-school
play groups continued with a depleted senior
staff During the year 106 child minders and 7
play groups were registered bringing the total
registered in each group to 238 and 40
respectively
It is abundantly clear that the health visitor
is able to give a service to the public which
is of great benefit to individuals and families
The theoretical training now given in the colleges
and the practical work supervision by the field
work instructor has given rise to a highly
qualified health visitor possessing advanced
ideas regarding the work and standard of service
she is to provide in the community.
The clinic/school nurses have given valuable
service both in clinics and schools and offer
great support to the health visiting service.
Staff
The establishment of health visiting staff
including tuberculosis visitors clinic nurses
and student health visitors was limited to 50
and comprised 42 health visitors, 2 tuberculosis
visitors 5 student health visitors and 1 clinic
nurse specially appointed to South Hounslcw
Health Centre
There was a separate establishment of 3
group adviser health visitors and 1 staff/
student health nurse
There were many staff changes during the
year Miss Harding, Principal Nursing Officer
Health Visiting resigned in March to take up
an appointment as Chief Nursing Officer in
the London Borough of Wandsworth
Training
Three student visitors successfully qualified
and five health visitors completed the field
work instructors' course Eighteen health
visitors took the two-day course in Psychoprophylaxis
in Preparation for Childbirth and
three attended refresher courses A General
Practitioner Attachment course was attended
by the Deputy Principal Nursing Officer
Visits were paid by the staff to Ashford Hospital
Cassels Hospital and Harefield Hospital the
latter in order to see the cardiac pace-makers'
The Further Education Teacher's Certificate
became an approved course and one health
visitor is undertaking this on a day release
basis Another member of staff is undertaking
the course on her own initiative in the evening
as only one place was approved
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