[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Eastbourne County Borough.

  • Eastbourne (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health, Eastbourne County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    34/138 (page 30)
    No one who studies the training and qualification and daily functions of a health visitor can have any doubt that her place is secure in the field of community care. Not only has attachment to general practice enlarged the area of operation but the continuing increasing demands for more health education, particularly in schools, closer scrutiny of the under fives, including annual and pre-school medical checks, health clinics and the like are functions outside the training of other workers in the social work group. Health Education in schools in particular has made good progress and it is found that the schools are confident and co-operative in the vital task of communication with the teenager on these matters. The Health Visitors’ work is very briefly summarised in the following figures: Home Visits Care of mothers and young children— Children born in 1970 .. .. . . 3,577 Children born in 1969 .. . . . . 2,701 Children born in 1965/68 .. .. .. 4,987 Expectant mothers .. .. .. .. 803 Care and after-care (including aged and handicapped persons) .. .. .. .. .. 274 Other Visits To doctors’ surgeries . . . . . . . . 406 To other agencies (voluntary organisations, etc.) . . 104 To day nurseries . . .. . . .. 58 To hospitals .. .. .. .. .. 206 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. .. 735 Session Attendances Child Health Sessions . . .. .. 867 Health Education/Mothercraft Sessions . . . . 217 Pre-School Medical Examinations and Vaccination and Immunisation sessions .. . . .. 264 Doctors’ Surgery sessions . . . . . . 224 HEALTH EDUCATION AND HOME SAFETY Ante-natal Mothercraft and Relaxation Classes Expectant mothers continued to attend the Mothercraft and Relaxation Classes held at Avenue House and Acacia Villa Clinics, the latter being transferred to the new Winifred Lee Health Centre in Warding Road in June. 365 expectant mothers including 35 unmarried made 1,629 attendances at these clinics. The following observation was made by a Domiciliary Midwife: “When visiting the mothers during the post-natal period, before the tenth day after discharge from hospital, 90 per cent, said they had benefited by attending the classes”.