Visiting the women in their own homes meant that the nurses really understood their problems and were not merely paying lip service to them. Ellen revelled in the freedom which she and Patty enjoyed when compared with life on the ward. Mostly they worked together, though as Ellen’s experience grew there were some cases which she could deal with alone, and this made the job easier. When in any doubt as to the treatment required, however, Ellen knew she could turn to Patty and always did so. As a last resort, there were doctors, but though some of these were excellent men, as devoted to their patients’ welfare as were the nurses, others were not. They did their job well enough but never tried to see things from the patient’s point of view. Patty told Ellen that one elderly and cross-grained doctor had actually drawn up a diet sheet for a sick woman which included eggs, fresh milk, poultry and fish. ‘Her husband was out of work and she had five children. She could not possibly afford any of the items he suggested, not even as an occasional treat, far less seven days a week,’ Patty had said.
