London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hounslow 1966

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hounslow]

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more thorough examination. Our medical
officers examine the vagina and all the pelvic
organs and also the breasts. The blood pressure
is taken and the urine is tested. Instructions are
also given in personal hygiene as this is an
important factor in the prevention of cervical
carcinoma.
If any abnormality is found in the smear
the patient is referred to her family doctor and
a copy of the pathologist's report is also sent
to him. The doctor in turn refers the patient to a
gynaecologist for further investigation. Each
patient is informed by letter of a negative result.
As is to be expected gynaecological defects
come to light at these clinics and the medical
officers report anything of significance to the
patient's family doctor.
Cervical smears are also taken at the Family
Planning Clinics.

The following statistics relate to women examined at the council's clinics during 1966—

Smears taken192
Positive smears (see note below)1
Negative smears191
Referred to general practitioner with gynaecological defects11
Referred to general practitioner for other reasons5

Further investigation, including cone biopsy.
Pathologist could not detect any evidence of a
carcinoma in situ.
Care of Mothers and Young
Children Section 22
Ante-natal Clinics
The trend of decreasing attendance in both
ante-natal and post-natal care has continued at
medical officer clinics as the pattern of ante-natal
care and post-natal care by the mother's general
practitioner becomes more firmly established.
This year there were 333 medical officer sessions
the attendances at which totalled 1,745. One
hundred and1 seventeen sessions with a midwife
only in attendance were held, the attendances at
which totalled 789. Many mothers, however,
attend the clinics for mothercraft and relaxation
and the number of total attendances, 2,186, is not
far short of the 2,390 attendances made last year.
Only 112 mothers took advantage of our facilities
for post-natal examinations. The practice of
undertaking ante-natal care in the middle months
of pregnancy has continued for patients booked
at hospitals but referred back to us after their
initial visit to hospital.
Child Welfare Clinics
During the year 1,420 sessions were held at
which 8,713 children made a total of 56,580
attendances, representing a fall of 4,360
attendances. General practitioners are
increasingly undertaking child care and
management and there seems to be a steady
increase in mothers of young children going out
to work. Both these factors no doubt have
contributed to the decrease in clinic attendances.
Welfare Foods
National welfare foods and approved proprietary
preparations are stocked at child welfare centres
for sale, or if the need is proved, for free issue.
During the year £11,980 was received for the
sale of proprietary preparations.

The quantities of national welfare foods issued were—

National dried milk (tins)12,203
Orange juice (bottles)58,195
Vitamin tablets (packets)3,245
Cod liver oil (bottles)2,974

Notification of Congenital Defects Apparent
at Birth
Since 1st January 1964 it has been a statutory
requirement that all congenital malformations
apparent at birth be notified to the Medical
Officer of Health at the same time as the
notification of birth. The names of children so
notified are included in the department's
observation register as children at risk and
particulars are also sent each month to the
Ministry of Health
The following is a list of defects notified during
1966-
38