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Night Service
This service continued during the year to provide help for patients who are very ill or dying
and who need night attention, and so enable relatives or others who normally provide this
assistance to get a certain amount of relief. During the year two cases were served for a total
of 72 hours.
HEALTH EDUCATION
Programmes of special significance are planned from time to time in welfare centres and
school clinics.
This year a special effort on the Dangers of Home Accidents was arranged. Welfare
centres were loaned display stands and informatory notices in co-operation with the Boroughs.
To support these and to focus attention on to the theme, posters and leaflets on display dealt
with the same subj ect. At the same time a more positive trend was taken up by health visitors
in talks and mothercraft classes and schools. The stress here was that the home should be a
safe place for all members of the family, particularly those prone to accidents (e.g. the young
and the elderly), attention being drawn to the common causes of dangerous and fatal accidents.
Flannelgraphs were also used. The campaign stirred up considerable interest, discussions and
questions. Some of these were kindled by press publicity on oil fires and promoted arbitrary
questions such as MWhich is the safe type of oil stove which can be bought for the home?"
Health Visitors and School Nurses are engaged in some form of Health Education in every
aspect of their work, but a special programme of talks to school children has been operating in
this Area for a number of years.
The talks are given to secondary modern school girls during their last year at school in
Hornsey and Tottenham at the request of head teachers. This year 318 talks were given in
schools alone. The substance of the instruction given is related to parentcraft, home-making and
the local health services. The girls take a very active part in it and are usually taken to a
local welfare centre sometime during the series.
Health Education programmes are also arranged for mothers attending welfare centres.
They are held on a session free of other clinics. All mothers are welcome and mothers attending
family doctors' surgeries and who do not attend the welfare centres for any other reason are also
welcomed. Some family doctors send their expectant mothers to these sessions which are mainly
concerned with the teaching of mothercraft. These sessions are popular and lively discussions
are promoted amongst those attending.
Members of the staff have given talks and taken classes during the year.to a number of
local organisations including CivilDefence, Young Wives'Clubs and young people's organisations.
Some have also acted as examiners for the British Red Cross Society.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Area School Populations
The school population for the Area is 10,760 in Hornsey and 17,647 in Tottenham.