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The improvement in the recruitment of health visitors shown in
1970 was not sustained throughout 1971. Only seven student health
visitors qualified in September which brought a total health visiting
staff of 35 including 6 Centre Superintendents. There were 15 vacant
posts at the end of the year.
A health visitor continued to work with the Medical Nursing staff
at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for children for three sessions a week for
the purpose of improving total patient care to the young child,
particularly with regard to the following up in the community.
The working party of local general medical practitioners and
Health Department staff, set up to examine all aspects of attachment/
liaison schemes, put forward proposals and arising from them arrangements
for a scheme of partial attachments commenced. This entailed a
health visitor being in regular contact with a specified general
practitioner but retaining a geographical area and operating from a
Maternal and Child Health Centre.
Fifty three general medical practitioners indicated their interest
in participating in the scheme, but having regard to the shortage of
qualified health visitors in the Borough it has only been possible to
arrange four part time attachments to separate practices and one whole
time attachment to the group of medical practitioners at the John
Scott Health Centre.
CO-OPERATION WITH THE HOSPITAL SERVICE
Co-operation with local hospitals continues at all levels. The
Medical Officer of Health and the members of the Council serve on the
Hackney Group Hospital Management Committee, and the Chairman of the
Health Committee is a member of the Board of Governors of St.
Bartholomew's Hospital.