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Few attempts have been made to give talks to groups of mothers at clinic sessions,
because experience in previous years had proved discouraging, and had brought to light
a number of practical difficulties. This was particularly disappointing because clinic
sessions, when mothers gather together, would seem to provide a ready-made opportunity
for health education. For this reason it is hoped that it will not be necessary to abandon
all idea of progress on these lines, but rather to find new ways of adapting these
activities to fit in with the normal routine of the clinic. 72 talks have however been
given by health visitors to a variety of audiences during the year, in addition to talks and
lectures given by senior officers. Some of these have been given on clinic premises but
a number have been to voluntary organisations, and one or two to school children. The
subjects most frequently chosen have been as follows:- Hygiene or Pregnancy; How a Baby
is Bom; Preparing for Baby; Bathing the Baby; Breast-Feeding; Nutrition and Diet;
Teeth; Shoes; Infectious Diseases; Home Safety and First-Aid in the Home. Many have
been illustrated by films or film strips; and the building up of a small film-library in
the department has proved invaluable to this part of our work, besides saving, in the long
run, on the recurrent costs of hiring films.
On the 12th March a symposium on "How the Health Services can Support the General
Practitioner Obstetrician" arranged by the West Ham Local Obstetric Committee was held at
Forest Street Maternity and Child Welfare Centre. Mr. England, Consultant Obstetrician from
Forest Gate Hospital spoke on behalf of the Hospital Services, Dr.Florentin, Senior Assistant
Medical Officer for Maternity and Child Welfare, on behalf of the Local Health Authority
Services, and Health Visitors showed a demonstration and film strip on methods used in
teaching mothers. The meeting, which had been arranged primarily for the benefit of doctors
practising domiciliary obstetrics, was well attended and much appreciated.
Health Visitors1 Consultative Committee.
With the increasing numbers of health visitors it was gradually becoming more
difficult to maintain personal contact between them and the administrative medical officers.
General meetings of staff are not easy to arrange, and large gatherings are not always the
most satisfactory place for an interchange of views and the discussion of problems arising
within the department. In order to overcome this difficulty, the health visitors at each
clinic were invited to nominate a representative to meet the senior officers with greater
regularity than would be feasible for the general body of their colleagues. This group
adopted the form of a committee consisting of 6 health visitors, the Superintendent Nursing
Officer and her deputy, with the Medical Officer of Health and the Senior Assistant Medical
Officer, Maternity and Child Welfare as Chairman and Deputy Chairman. It is intended to
invite other off1cers to attend on appropriate occasions. Two meetings have been held and
have already proved of value in clarifying a number of matters.
SECTION 25: HOME NURSING
Municipal Home Nursing Staff on 31st December, 1954.
2 S.R.N.
employed full-time.
1 S.C.M.
8 S.R.N. employed part-time, average 24 hours weekly.
7 S.E.A.N.