View report page

All the health visitors have greatly appreciated the opportunity to increase their
knowledge, and to discuss service matters with their oolleagues in other areas. There is no
doubt that the department will benefit from the wider outlook which is fostered by this
post-graduate training.
Health Visitors' Duties
All health visitors undertake routine duties in both the maternal and child health
and the school health services. The various forms of liaison carried out by certain health
visitors have increased in their community value.
The Diabetic Liaison health visitors were happy to be associated with the formation
of "The Doctor Whitaker Club" -a club for diabetics which is democratically organised as
patients, almoners and health visitors serve on the Committee.
In the care of the elderly, the link with Langthorne Hospital has continued to be
strengthened by Geriatric Liaison. The after care of the sick child from hospital is made
more effective by liaison with both Whipps Cross Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital. All
these liaison duties stimulate interest and are a useful form of in-service training.
Case Loads
It has not been possible to make reductions in case loads owing to difficulty in
achieving a full establishment. The Borough Is divided into 27 health visitor areas and case
loads average as follows:-
Children under 5 years 420
Sohool children 700
Elderly people 90
Circular 26/39 Ministry of Health. Circular 12/39 Ministry of Education
This long awaited circular which expressed the Government's response to the Report
of the Working Party on Health Visiting, published in 1956, was received in October.
The Ministers stated that they were in general agreement with the recommendations
in the Report and asked local authorities to study it carefully and to take appropriate
action, especially In ensuring that full use was made of the health visitors capabilities
and potentialities.
Most of the listed recommendations are already common practice in West Ham. One
interesting new suggestion concerns the appointment of a grade of senior health visitor
to be called a "Group Adviser". This officer, whose function would be that of "adviser"
to a group of health visitors, would hold a position intermediate between the field worker
and the administrative nursing officer. Her appointment was considered necessary so as to
ensure that the district health visitor could obtain sufficient day to day guidance on the
new and changing duties being entrusted to her. It was not considered possible for
administrative officers, such as the Superintendent Health Visitor, to be able to devote
enough time from her administrative duties to fulfil this important function.
As the Circular was received late in the year, no action could be taken on the
recommendation, but the contents were being studied by senior medical and nursing staff.
80