H—3l

A small number of additional nurses have been appointed to carry out these combined duties, and in two districts, because of difficulties in regard to staffing, two Boards asked the Department to take over country districts. There are also eleven districts where the routine District Nurses' duties are carried out in combination with the Plunket Society—in some cases by the Plunket Society and in some by the Department. In regard to the routine work of the Department's District Nurses, this year the routine school work has been less in amount owing to the poliomyelitis epidemic, but, on the other hand, the diphtheria immunization programme has been extensively increased, with a large increase in the number of visits paid to infants and pre-school children, both Maori and European. The number of patients given bedside care has also markedly increased, particularly amongst Europeans, reflecting the work done for Hospital Boards in regard to this service.

Public Health District Nursing Service: Year Ended 31st March, 1948

Requests are being received now from many country districts for District Nurses to give a bedside programme. In view of this, the Hon. Minister of Health approved of the policy regarding district nursing being freshly set out in a circular to Hospital Boards, as follows : In view of the increasing demand for the services of District Nurses, and of the shortage of registered nurses for the New Zealand Nursing Service as a whole, it has been found necessary to review the general departmental policy with regard to these services. The current difficulties of

32

— Maori. European. School work — Hours spent in school work 5,197 29,669 Number of schools visited— With S.M.O. .. 47 1,360 Alone 3,170 11,625 Number of visits to homes of— School-children .. .. .. 26,475 21,274 Pre-school children 27,060 21,585 Tuberculosis control— Number of visits to homes 17,863 17,413 Number of cases seen at home 11,042 9,354 Number of contacts seen— Adults 14,294 12,351 Children 22,857 9,510 Maternal and infant welfare — Ante-natal cases seen .. .. .. 8,362 2,132 Confinements attended 82 12 Number of visits during puerperium .. 1,433 45 Infants seen at home or clinic 49,924 19,407 Attendances and treatments— Number attended at cottage or office 17,214 16,009 Number in own home 42,800 21,740 Total number of homes visited for any purpose 132,965 90,693 Number of inoculations .. 19,221 16,382 Social welfare cases .. .. .. 2,828 665 Pas or settlements visited 18,369 4,956 Lectures given— To school-children 1,219 4,954 To other groups .. .. .. 373 254