H—3l
The returns this year are disappointing, as it would appear that in spite of the care recommended and being given, although there have been no major epidemics, there were a large number of cases of gastro-enteritis and dysentery and also that there was an increase in the number of septic fingers. Both these conditions are preventable.
Public Health Nursing During the year there has been a slight increase in the number of District Nurses -employed by Hospital Boards to give bedside nursing on a visiting basis. Now that the number of doctors practising in the community has increased, the Hospital Boards were -circularized to the effect that District Nurses could only be employed under the social security benefits if the patients cared for were under supervision of a medical practitioner, so that it should be only necessary for nurses to make an initial visit without, except in cases of emergency, the patient being under medical supervision. The following table gives a summary of last year's work :
Comparative Summary of Work Undertaken by Hospital Board District Nurses
31
— 1944. 1945. 1946. 1947. 1948. Number of training-schools 37 38 40 37 38 Number of pupil-nurses 3,194 3,400 3,280 3,210 3,138 Number of registered nurses 1,366 1,500 1,347 1,199 1,228 Number of nurses suffering from — Septic fingers Tonsillitis 356 244 250 207 261 388 445 429 418 315 Gastro-enteritis and dysentery .. 250 152 290 300 458 Pulmonary tuberculosis 34 43 48 42 43 Non-pulmonary tuberculosis 4 3 4 5 6 Pleurisy 26 22 15 22 25 Erythema nodosum 13 19 29 22 24
Year ended 31st March, Quarter Ended 31st 1948. March, 1947. Number of nurses— North Island 71 South Island 44 Total 115 80* Total number of new cases referred from — Hospital 3,323 591 Private practitioners 7,403 1,325 Patient's own home 12,965 3,488 Total number of cases, including old and new cases— Nurses' centre 10,484 2,365 Patient's own home 44,800 9,615 Total number of visits, including old and new cases— Nurses' centre 25,009 2,376 Patient's own home 247,723 33,208 * Including 1 part-time.