[Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Bolton County Borough.

  • Bolton (Greater Manchester, England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1956
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1956] / Medical Officer of Health, Bolton County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Laundry Service: A total of 93 incontinent patients were assisted by the Laundry Service because of inadequate facilities for dealing with this in their own homes. The service provided sheets, nightgowns and pyjamas, and deliveries were made daily to 57 cases, the remaining patients receiving the service two or three times weekly. Nursing Equipment: The amount of equipment loaned to patients increases year by year and details of this service, which is of value to patients and nurses alike, are given on page 72. Treatment Sessions in the Health Department: For a trial period it was decided towards the end of 1955 to allow ambulant patients to attend at the Health Department to receive treatment. This had the dual purpose of saving nurses’ visiting time and allowing ambulant patients to become more independent. It has been decided to continue this as it has proved useful. Patients attend between 2.30 and 3.30 p.m. and between 5 and 6 p.m. This latter is very useful to people who are at work. In all, 3,703 attendances were made by 59 patients during the year. Most of them—49— were for streptomycin injections. In addition, there were 9 medical cases and 1 surgical case. Training of Hospital Nurse Students: In connection with the revised syllabus of nurse training which emphasises the need for knowledge of the social aspects of disease, student nurses from Bolton Royal Infirmary, Bolton District General Hospital and Townleys Branch, have accompanied home nurses on their rounds to see the nursing of patients in their homes. A total number of 130 nurses have had a day on the district to gain this experience. Combined Home Nursing and Midwifery: As already reported in the section of the report on Midwifery, some of the midwives with general training have undertaken a certain amount of home nursing particularly in connection with injection therapy. This has helped to relieve the home nurse, but the work is only done at times when the midwife is not fully employed on midwifery work. At the end of the year 3 midwives were working in this scheme.