[Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottingham City.

  • Nottingham City Council
Date:
1958
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1958] / Medical Officer of Health, Nottingham City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    10 HEALTH VISITING The institution of a training course in 1947 initially raised the number of health visitors from 13 to 29. This number fluctuated between 1949 and 1953, the average then being 25. The training course continued and the average number of health visitors since 1954 has been 32. During the eleven years of training, a total of 153 students has been accepted for the course, 145 have completed it, while 143 have succeeded in obtaining the Health Visitor’s Certificate. Of these totals, 69 have opted to serve with the Authority, 53 with the County of Nottinghamshire, and 20 were sponsored by various other neighbouring authorities. The total cost to the Corporation has been /]24,332. LIAISON WITH OTHER SERVICES As the result of special arrangements, three health visitors regularly visit two hospitals for various purposes ; a rather restricted linkage. At the same time it has to be recorded that, up to the present, opportunities for other developments have not presented. Only one hospital sends copies to the department of patients’ discharge letters to doctors. In conjunction with the British Medical Association and the Local Medical Com¬ mittee, the Authority in 1956 arranged two evening sherry parties, the first for the northern and western sectors and the second for the southern and eastern sectors of the City, at which practitioners met health visitors, midwives, home help service organisers and caseworkers. As a result, some acquaintances were struck and some improvement in liaison was evident for a time. The health visitor’s main disadvantage is that at no period does she offer the type of service which ensures a spontaneous welcome or the state of gratitude where guidance is readily accepted. The entire divorce from all measures of therapy leaves her duties not so much misunderstood, as not understood. Health visitors have been sent to refresher courses about every five years. HOME NURSING SERVICE It is claimed that this service in the seven years since it was transferred from the Nottingham District Nursing Association in 1951 has been transformed. Personal equipment, transport, telephones and uniform have all contributed. The service has benefitted from its affiliation with the Queen’s Institute of District Nursing. The demand is reflected in the number of new cases month by month and the number of visits, which constantly rose until about a year ago. The table showing the average number of nurses for each year, together with the numbers of new patients and visits paid provides a clear reflection. 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 No. of nurses 48 59 60 64 58 65 68 Patients visited . . 5,718 6,615 7,086 7,685 7,419 7,326 7,085 Total nursing visits 202,993 200,242 217,033 229,882 240,133 246,292 234,274 Case load—visits per month per nurse 352 303 329 314 317 317 313
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