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PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING AND
ALLIED SERVICES
HEALTH VISITING
General
The past year has seen some changes and re-organisation within
the nursing services.
Miss P. Richards, Superintendent Health Visitor, retired after 22
years' combined service with this Authority and with the Surrey
County Council.
At the same time, as part of a re-organisation of the management
structure of the Nursing Services, a post of Principal Nursing Officer
was created in substitution for a post of Deputy Superintendent
Health Visitor. The role of Principal Nursing Officer is to co-ordinate
the activities of the three branches of the Nursing Services and to act
as a single adviser to the Medical Officer of Health on the administration
and development of the Nursing Services. A post of this kind is
essential if the Nursing Services are to be flexible enough to meet the
changing needs and techniques precipitated by the policy of attachment
of nursing staff to general practitioners, and the rapidly changing
pattern of hospital care brought about by advanced methods of treatment.
On the retirement of Miss Richards, Mrs. I. Brown, former
Deputy Superintendent Health Visitor, was appointed as Superintendent.
Staff
At 31st December, 1969, the staff position was:—
1 Superintendent Health Visitor.
28 Full-time Health Visitors.
2 Part-time Health Visitors.
2 Part-time Geriatric Health Visitors.
1 Full-time Tuberculosis Health Visitor.
2 Part-time Tuberculosis Health Visitors.
4 Health Visitor Students.
Approval was given in November by the Establishment Committee
for the substitution of three posts of Group Adviser for three posts
of Health Visitors as a further measure of re-organisation of the Nursing
Services. In addition to carrying a small personal case load, these
senior health visitors would be responsible, at field level, for the organisation
of, and work within, a group of health visitors. They would
undertake the practical work supervision of student health visitors as
they approached the end of their training, and the supervision of childminders
and playgroups within their own area. Applicants from the
Borough's existing staff were of such high calibre that it was possible
to make the appointments from existing staff.
These new posts were part of the measures necessary to provide
a new management structure in the Nursing Services in line with the
recommendations made by the Working Party on the Management
Structure of the Local Authority Nursing Services set up by the
Department of Health and Social Security.
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