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A total of 3,256 women had cervical smears taken at the
Family Planning Association's clinics in the borough.
Smears are also taken at hospital gynaecological clinics and
in family doctors' surgeries, the total number of women
who have been screened in the borough is therefore not
known.

Carcinoma in situ was confirmed in the eight women
aged between 23 and 54 years who had positive smears.
Four of the women had a hysterectomy and four who had
cone biopsies will be followed up closely as out patients.

Renal dialysis in the home
Two requests were received during the year for the
adaptation of premises in connection with home dialysis.
In one instance a Portakabin was provided to house the
dialysis equipment. The Portakabin remains the council's
property and a rental is charged to the patient having regard
to the family circumstances. Where adaptations are
necessary the borough council meet half the cost and the
balance is paid by the patient by means of an interest
free loan over three years.
Care of mothers and young children
Ante-natal clinics
Ante-natal care is concerned with the health of pregnant
women and the diagnosis and treatment of disorders and
diseases of pregnancy. The local authority has a duty to
provide ante-natal clinics but increasingly family doctors
are providing these for their patients so that attendances at
local authority clinics are diminishing not only locally but
nationally. Not many general practitioners however provide
clinics for mothercraft and relaxation and this educational
side of ante-natal work in local authority clinics is greatly
appreciated by expectant mothers, though it is an aspect
difficult to satisfy without team-work in clinic premises.
With the advent of health centres it is envisaged that
family doctors will be more closely associated with all
aspects of ante-natal care and that hospital doctors will also
come out to clinics to see ante-natal patients, as is already
happening in the Brentford Health Centre.
One hundred and seventy-five medical officer sessions
were held this year, the attendances at which totalled 405.
One hundred and eleven sessions with a midwife only in
attendance were held, the attendances at which totalled
529.
Attendances at the mothercraft and relaxation clinics
numbered 2,472: 154 more than last year. Only 29
mothers took advantage of the council's facilities for
post-natal examinations.
Many patients booked for confinement in hospital are
supervised at the clinics during the middle months of
pregnancy and return to the direct care of the hospital
obstetricians as they approach term.
Child Health Clinics
During the year, 1,475 sessions were held at which 7,592
children made a total of 43,632 attendances representing an
increase of 1,228 attendances compared with 1970. The
provision of child health clinics with attendant dental and
immunisation clinics form a significant part of a local
authority's services but it is hoped that interested family
doctors in association with the health visitor will take on
more of this work in health centres as part of family
medical care providing routine supervision of children under
5 years in their practices.
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
£15,059 was received for the sale of proprietary
preparations.
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