[Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Dundee City.

  • Dundee City Council
Date:
1961
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1961] / Medical Officer of Health, Dundee City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    additional allowances from the National Assistance Board to meet the extra cost. At 31st December, 27 full time and 209 part-time home helps were employed. Comparable figures last year wefe 36 and 213 respectively- 1959 I960 1961 Health Visits to expectant mothers 13,570 13,928 12,734 Visiting Visits to children under 1 year 34,220 36,964 33,510 Visits to children between 2-5 years 33,046 37,463 37,880 Visits to tuberculous cases 5,090 3,038 4,666 'School Home Visits — 3,483 3,074 Visits to other cases 13,365 13,071 12,815 99,291 107,947 104,679 * Omitted in previous years. It will be seen from the above figures that the number of visits paid by Health Visitors during the year has fallen by some 3,300. This is due to several factors :— 1. Staff shortage—six health visitors were lost from the district due to retiral, resignations and promotion—one part- time health visitor and one trainee health visitor recruited. 2. Sickness—there has been an unusually high incidence of sickness among the health visitors—444 working days lost. 3. Changing pattern of health visiting—from a break down of the “ other visits ” referred to in the above table it has been noticed that the number of visits to old people has almost doubled; mental health visits have almost trebled while every effort is being made to continue maternity and child welfare visits. The health visitor is also doing more social work among problem families as more and more come to their notice. Many of these visits are very time consuming. 4. Mental health lectures—a course of thirty mental health lectures were held at Dundee Royal Mental Hospital when twelve health visitors attended. Each lecture occupied the time of one session making a total of 360 sessions off the district. 5. Weekly visits to mental hospitals—health visitors meet the patients before discharge to their districts. 6. Campaigns—health visitors assisted during the spring and early summer with dental health and poliomyelitis cam- paigns.
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