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are being encouraged to use the Centres for periodic examinations of
the babies, for prophylaxis, if not done by the General Practitioners,
and for advice and help, with actual weighing very much a secondary
consideration.
As always, by far the most important part of a Health Visitor's
work is visiting. It is only in the atmosphere of her own home that
the mother is completely relaxed and can fully discuss her problems
be they great or small. Equally, a Health Visitor is gready helped in
her assessments if she knows the environment of her families and sees
them in their normal living conditions. This opportunity of visiting
homes when all is running smoothly, as well as in times of crisis, is
unique to the Health Visiting Service, and is quite invaluable.
Training of Health Visitors
Health Visitors in the Borough who are qualified as Fieldwork
Instructors continued to receive students attached for training or for
observation purposes during the year from various centres.
'In-Service' training of Health Visitors was continued. Five
Health Visitors attended post-graduate refresher courses, four undertook
training as Fieldwork Instructors, and two attended a weekend
course in Psychoprophylaxis to enable them to take classes for antenatal
mothers in ' Preparation for Childbirth '.
In addition Health Visitors attended several one-day or half-day
conferences on subjects of special interest.
General Practitioner Attachments
This year has seen great steps forward in the field of Health
Visitor attachments to General Practitioners. It has become obvious
that this arrangement is mutually beneficial to Doctors and Health
Visitors, but above all to the patients, who get unified advice and
help, and the families are much better understood when seen from
both the preventive and curative angles.
By the end of 1968, eight Health Visitors were attached to practices
comprising 25 Doctors. The process of attachment is continuing,
but it will be appreciated that, in an area such as Merton, where
many Doctors whose surgeries are outside the boundaries have patients
within the Borough, it will always be necessary to have a certain
percentage of the Health Visitor establishment working on a geographical
basis.
Summary of Work of Health Visitors
The following tables give details of visits paid to children and
to other types of case and attendances at the various clinics and
centres:—