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DOMICILIARY MIDWIFERY AND HOME NURSES
Staff as on 31st December, 1966: Full-time 35 Part-time 17
Vacancies : full-time 7 Part-time Nil
For most of the year fewer members of staff were in post than those
given above. Difficulties are still being experienced in recruitment
particularly of midwives, although the policy of the Council in providing
housing accommodation where neoessary has eased the position. A new
appointment of Nursing Auxiliary was made during the year to work under
the supervision of a State Registered Nurse to give general care to those
patients who did not require fully skilled nursing. This proved a
great success with everyone especially elderly patients with whom the
Auxiliary could spend more time. The policy of employing less highly
skilled staff in the nursing services allows the qualified District Nurses
to give additional attention to those patients who are most in need of
their skills and it is hoped to increase the number of Nursing Auxiliaries
next year.
In order to meet the changing circumstances midwifery in the Sutton
and Cheam areas was combined and carried out from the Cheam Nurses' Home.
This allowed greater flexibility in the deployment of staff, the mothers
continuing to attend the midwives clinic nearest to their homes.
There is a need to proceed with the changes recommended to and
accepted by the Health Committee to bring the service into a form more
suited to the needs of the Borough. The pattern of home nursing is changing
still and patients who would have had to remain in hospital are now able
to be given highly skilled nursing at home because of the progress made
in nursing techniques and the aids, including mechanical aids, now
available. District Nurses and Midwives are using many disposal items of
equipment increasing the efficiency of their work and saving valuable
nursing time. Considerable advance has also been made in the home nursing
care of the severely handicapped and with additional social support
becoming available the degree of handicap which can be nursed at home
is gradually increasing.
The number of home confinements remained much the same as in the
previous year, although planned early discharges from hospital were slightly
increased. The total number of persons nursed at home increased
considerably during the year particularly in the over 65 age group.
This is indicative of the increasing care being made available to the elderly
in their own homes.
Analysis of the illnesses from which patients suffered and for which
service was provided shows that the greatest increase was in those with
diseases of the blood, medical and surgical chest conditions and cardiac
disease.
Statistical information relating to the home nursing and midwifery
services follows:-
46