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Family Planning
The family planning service in the Borough continued to be provided by the Family Planning
Association, acting as the Council's agents. The implementation of the powers granted to the
Council by the National Health Service (Family Planning) Act 1967 was further discussed with the
Family Planning Association and the hospital authorities, and, as a result, the Council agreed to
accept for free treatment, cases dealt with at family planning clinics who come within the following
medical or social categories:-
Medical — (a) grand multiparity (five or more)
(b) previous medical history of mental or physical disease where further pregnancies
are contra-indicated
(c) present medical condition of mental or physical disease where further
pregnancies are contra-indicated
(d) hereditary disease with likelihood of transmission
(e) where a child in family is suffering from serious, chronic mental or physical
disease
(f) habitual abortion
Social — problem families and potential problem families, i.e. where excessive fertility is
associated with another factor, viz. mental subnormality; mental ill-health; chronic
alcoholism; addiction to drugs; recidivism.
Cases within these categories are referred for free treatment by Health Department medical
officers, domiciliary midwives, mental health officers and health visitors; and by family planning
clinic medical officers. The Medical Officer of Health has discretionary powers to extend authority
for free treatment to special cases not falling in the categories described.
During the year two new weekly clinics were started, at Gordon Road, N.11. and Burgoyne Road,
N.4. In addition, a clinic for the insertion of the intra-uterine device was started by the Association
at the Prince of Wales's Hospital, and towards the end of the year a weekly evening session was
started at Fortis Green Clinic, N.2., at which contraceptive advice is given to the unmarried.
A domiciliary planning service was begun in February 1968, for women who need contraceptive
advice but are unable, for various reasons, to attend a clinic. These women are visited in their homes
by a family planning doctor and nurse.
Close co-operation is maintained between the family planning team and the patient's general
practitioner. During 1968 the domiciliary service dealt with 38 patients.
Domiciliarv Service