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The Chief Nursing Officer serves on the Area Nurse Training Committee
of the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board, the Joint Nursing
Services Group for Hackney and the City of London and the Nurse Education
Committee for St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
A Senior Nursing Officer continues to act as a link between the Local
Authority and Hospital Nursing Services. she plays a valuable contribution
in this field of work and serves on the following Committees:-
Joint Child Care Study Group of the Joint Hospital Services Committee
for Tower Hamlets, Hackney and the City of London, the Nurse Education
Committees for Hackney Hospital and the Kingston School of Nursing and the
Joint Nursing Services Group, Hackney and the City of London.
The Community Option Scheme which can now form a part of Nurses' training
by providing practical work in the Community was introduced, and ten student
nurses from Hackney Hospital took advantage of the opportunity.
MENTAL HEALTH
Community Care for the Mentally III, Mentally Handicqoped and the Elderly
During the year an endeavour was made to improve the already established
good relationships at all levels with the Social Services Department. Slowly,
the Social Workers, District Nurses, and Health Visitors working with cases
at grass root level began to get to know each other and to work as a team
which also included, of course, Home Helps and general medical practitioners.
Mental Health Liaison Committee
This Committee met quarterly attheHackney Hospital. However, in view
of the continued reorganisation of the Social Services Department and the
future Reorganisation of the Health Department, a representation from the
Health Department was not static. General discussions on basic problems
were, therefore, not practicable, and a suggestion that the meeting should be
held in the various Social Services Department areas wasnot proceeded with,
due to the difficulties this would raise for the voluntary organisations.
Policy Group
This Group is composed of heads of departments, representatives of
voluntary organisations, consultant psychiatrists from hospitals and general
practitioners, who met at 3 monthly intervals in order to discuss planning
and policy for the present and the future, and the use of resources..
The Mentally Handicapped
All mentally handicapped adults attending the Training Centre at
Homerton have a medical/social interview with the Principal Medical Officer
responsible for community care.
Parents were firmly advised to allow grown-up sons and daughters to
take so much interest in domestic activities at home and social activities
outside. The new Centre at Albion Road opened towards the end of the year
and the supervisor hopes to develop the Centre on the most modern lines.
Assistance has also been given for assessment and placing of multi-handicapped
children of school age.