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57
At the end of the year it was decided to separate the supervisory
duties over health visitors and raidwives; and after advertisement
Miss M. Blanchard was appointed to the post of Superintendent
Health Visitor and Miss F. E. Curtis to the post of Non-Medical
Supervisor of Midwives. By co-operation with the Education and
Public Health Committees Miss Blanchard was made responsible
for the supervision of the whole of the nursing staff.
Home visiting continued to form the major function of the health
visitors' duties, including expectant and nursing mothers, cases for
evacuation, supervision of the health of children under five, children
in the care of foster parents and awaiting adoption, children suffering
from non-notifiable infectious disease and "following up" children
in need of special treatment. The number of visits made by health
visitors in the homes was 32,773, showing an increase of 2,732 over
the previous year.
On the cessation of hostilities the health visitors were called
upon to assist with the reception and examination of returning
mothers and children who had evacuated during the war years under
the Government's scheme. This service, which lasted over a
month, involved the staff in much overtime—evening and week-end
duties—but was rewarded in the appreciation expressed by the
mothers. Other duties discharged by health visitors were attendance
at the increasingly popular clinics such as ante- and post-natal,
infant welfare, toddler, artificial sunlight and dental; distribution
of food supplements; sewing classes and mothers' clubs; talks and
demonstrations on health education matters; and assistance in the
practical training of student health visitors.
During the year the department provided facilities for practical
training of students from the National Health Society, and in conjunction
with the Metropolitan Borough of Islington, in respect of
practical training in the tuberculosis service. Health visitor
students from both pre- and post-certificate courses came to visit
Tottenham during the year from the Royal College of Nursing,
Women Public Health Officers' Association, Queen's Institute of
District Nursing, and student nurses from the Prince of Wales's
General Hospital, North Middlesex Hospital and student teachers
from St. Katharine's Training College. Parties of senior scholars
from local schools visited the health centres throughout the year.
Many visitors from local authorities in this country and visitors
from abroad came to see the work of the department during the year.
The latter included visitors specially interested in Maternity and
Child Welfare work from Persia, Holland, America, France,
Denmark, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.