View report page

12.2.2 In addition, health visitors visited 56 mentally disordered persons in 1967 and
39 in 1968, whilst visits were paid to other adults discharged from hospitals; to tuberculosis
households and households with other infectious diseases; and, for the purpose
of housing reports, to families without children under 5 years of age.
12.3 The borough has continued to sponsor student health visitors and to offer practical
training and placements.
12.4 As Superintendent Health Visitor Miss A.I. Stewart has provided friendly guidance
rather than "superintendence" — not least to the Medical Officer of Health.
ATTACHMENT OF HEALTH VISITORS AND HOME NURSES
TO GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
13.1 The Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968, empowered local authorities
to employ health visitors and home nurses to visit and attend on persons requiring their
services elsewhere than in the persons' own homes. A local health authority may now
arrange also for these services to be provided in its area by another such authority on
agreed terms.
13.2 The effect of the new legislation was to give blanket approval to local authorities
who are running pilot schemes for the attachment of health visitors and home nurses
to general practitioners, group practices, etc.
13.3 In Camden, the attachment scheme for health visitors was already in being in
1965, and that for home nurses commenced in 1967. Both these schemes have been running
satisfactorily and have expanded since they were first introduced. But because of the
very high number of single-handed general practitioners in the borough, any large-scale
extension of the attachment scheme would involve considerable increases in staff, and
extensive development seems improbable. It is, however, intended that as and when
requests are received from general practitioners for attachments, these will be met so far
as is possible, bearing in mind the availability of staff and other relevant factors.
13.4 Professional "liaison" between the Borough nursing staff and general practitioners
have developed, however, as an alternative form of co-operation. Under this
arrangement, health visitors and home nurses are responsible for their respective functions
both within a geographical area and for the patients on the lists of specified medical
practitioners. Where a patient is outside those areas, the staff do not themselves visit,
but act as intermediary between the doctor and appropriate colleagues. Regular visits to
the practice surgery are made for the purpose of informal consultation.
13.5 At the end of 1967, 3 health visitors were attached full-time to large group
practices and 5 were attached to general practitioners on a part-time basis. By the end of
1968, an additional full-time attachment had been made. Three home nurses were attached
to groups of general practitioners at the end of 1968, and the total number of visits made
by them during the year was 6,191.
35