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40 Summary of Nursing Arrangements.
7. SUMMARY OF NURSING ARRANGEMENTS,
HOSPITALS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS
AVAILABLE FOR THE DISTRICT.
(1) Professional Nursing in the Home.
(a) General Nursing. Two District Nurses, employed by the
Barnes Nursing Association and the Mortlake Nursing Association
respectively, are engaged in General Nursing work in the homes of
the poorer inhabitants. General Nursing work of this nature is
undertaken in this District entirely by Voluntary Associations;
neither the Urban District Council nor the Surrey County Council
have made any arrangements in this respect.
(b) For Infectious Diseases. No provision has been made for
the actual nursing of cases of infectious disease in the homes of the
poor. The services of the above-mentioned District Nurses are
not available, as they are debarred from attendance on patients
suffering from infectious diseases. Cases of Scarlet Fever,
Diphtheria, or Enteric Fever are always removed to the Isolation
Hospital if the circumstances are such that the patients cannot be
effectively isolated and properly nursed in their homes. With
regard to other infectious diseases, however, in epidemic times
when accommodation in the Hospital may not be available, skilled
nursing in the home is of the utmost value in lessening the
mortality amongst cases of a severe type. This is applicable to
cases of Measles, for instance, with severe complications, occurring
in the homes of the poor ; in such cases no nursing assistance is at
present available.
(2) Midwives.
There are nine Midwives practising in the District—four of
these are resident within the District, and five, although resident
outside the Urban District, occasionally practise in Barnes.
There are no Midwives working in the District employed by or
subsidised by a Public Health Authority, and I do not consider
such provision is needed.