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HOME NURSING SERVICE
Historical
There have been many developments during the 10 years since the West Ham County
Borough Council started to take over this service which had previously been operated by
three agenoies.
(i) PLAISTOW MATERNITY HOSPITAL who maintained the central and largest area.
This service had been run by the hospital staff, but much of the nursing was done by the
pupil midwives as a combined Midwifery District Nursing Training, Under the National Health
Service Act the hospital was no longer permitted to operate this service, so that on the
"appointed day" the following staff were transferred to the Local Health Authority:-
Full-time Home Nurses:- 1 S.R.N.
1 S.E.A.N.
1 Nursing Orderly
6 Temporary Pupil Midwives
Part-time Home Nurses:- 2 S.R.N's
1 S.E.A.N.
1 Nursing Orderly
78 cases were transferred with the Nurses
All but one of the original staff had resigned by March 1st, 1949.
(ii) SILVERTOWN AND NORTH WOOLWICH D.N,A. who covered the far south of the
Borough, and continued to do so until November 1st 1955, when the West Ham Home Nurses
took over the area.
(iii) BEACHCROFT NURSES' TRAINING HOME (now the Lady Rayleigh Training Home)
which provided nurses for the north of the Borough. In 1948 this service continued and was
extended as far south as the District Railway Line - it still covers this extended area.
Staffing
Recruitment has never been easy and there have been many changes of staff which
have made it difficult to maintain a satisfactory service. However, the staff has gradually
been built up to its present strength of:
Full-time Home Nurses:- 3 S,R.N. Queen's Nurses
1 Male Nurse S.E.A.N.
Part-time Home Nurses:- 7 S.R.N's
9 S.E.A.N's
All except two of the female nurses are married women who live in the neighbourhood.
Their home commitments do not permit them to work full time but they can devote a limited
number of hours to professional work. Their enthusiasm and love of nursing has helped
them to maintain high standards in the face of many difficulties.
Training
Three of the nurses have successfully undertaken their Queen's Training at the
Lady Rayleigh Training Home. This training was sponsored by the Council and, for the
first time, the service now has a nucleus of full-time Queen's Nurses. Most of the other
nurses have attended demonstrations in nursing techniques, kindly arranged by the Superintendent
of the Lady Rayleigh Training Home.
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