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General
For emergency rota duty of Mental Welfare Officers outside normal office
hours at night and at week-ends the link has been maintained with the
neighbouring Borough of Merton. This arrangement operates very satisfactorily
and it is intended that it should continue.
MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK
1. Prevention of Break-up of Families
When the Department was reorganised in July 1968, the Sub-Section of the
previous Health and Welfare Department concerned with the prevention of breakup
of families was transferred to the Social Services Division®
2. Chest Clinics
One Medical Social Worker has remained attached to the Chest Clinics at
St. Helier Hospital and with one Chest Clinic Health Visitor works in close
co-operation with the Consultant Chest Physicians. Their work, which was
originally associated almost exclusively with cases of pulmonary tuberculosis,
has been extended to other chest and heart conditions.
There are two Chest and Heart Voluntary Committees:- Beddington,
Carshalton and Wallington Chest and Heart Care Committee, and Sutton and
Cheam Tuberculosis and Chest Care Committee, who give excellent service to
patients attending the Chest Clinics on the recommendation of the Chest
Physician or the Chest Clinic Social Worker.
The Borough Council makes an annual grant to the Care Committees, but
much of their work is dependent on the raising of funds from voluntary sources.
Extra-nourishment
Patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, who require extranourishment
for medical reasons and are unable to provide it themselves are
supplied with free milk. There is a diminishing need for this scheme, since
the number of necessitous patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis is
gradually reducing.
HEALTH EDUCATION
In addition to work in this field carried out by teachers in schools,
many of the professional staff of the Health Division of the Department,
Medical Officers, Dental Officers, Health Visitors are responsible for
Health Education as part of their normal duties. The demand from schools
an from the general public has increased greatly and it became necessary to
appoint a Health Education Officer, assisted by a Technical Assistant, to
co-ordinate the work and to give supporting service to professional staff
as well as to participate in practical work. These two officers were
appointed during 1969.
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