View report page

- 63 -
On 27th June, 1968, the cervical smear was shown as positive and, as
the patient had no general practitioner, an attempt was made to contact her
directly at the mews flat where she lived. A health visitor visited
immediately but no-one was there, an estate agent's board was fixed to the
house, and the neighbour said that the owners had already left for the
Canary Islands. The health visitor then contacted the estate agent who
refused to give the patient's address but said that she was still in
England and that he would forward a letter to her. A further appeal was
then made to the estate agent by a Principal Medical Officer but without
success, so a letter was taken to the agent asking the patient to get in
touch with the clinic medical officer immediately.
Fortunately, contact was made with the patient within a few hours and,
as she had no general practitioner, the Council's medical officer undertook
to make arrangements for further treatment. With the quick co-operation
of the pathological and gynaecological departments of a local hospital,
further investigation was carried out the following day. A definite
pre-raalignant condition was diagnosed and surgical treatment advised; the
family cancelled their arrangements to leave the country and the patient
was admitted to hospital on 5th July, 1968, sixteen days after first
attendance at the cytology clinic.
Attendance at the Royal Marsden Hospital for cytologica'l screening
of borough residents continued during the year, but because insufficient
patients were found to be attending to justify payment by the Council for
a weekly session, an arrangement for per capita payment was introduced
during the year.
FAMILY PLANNING.
All family planning services within the borough have continued to be
provided by the West London branch of the Family Planning Association.
Following the National Health Service (Family Planning) Act, 1967,
it became apparent that the service would need to be extended and, as the
Association provides clinics in many London boroughs, it was hoped at the
end of 1967 that a uniform scale of payments could be agreed to cover all
contraceptive advice and treatment given by them. This could have
improved administrative efficiency and facilitated "knock for knock"
arrangements between the boroughs.
In June, 1968, however, the London Boroughs' Association indicated
that, as there was wide divergence in the extent to which the various
Councils proposed to implement the Act, it had not been possible to arrive
at any co-ordinated scheme of payments, and each Council was advised to
make its own arrangements with the Association. This course has been
followed in this borough.
In July, 1968, the Council decided to implement in full the National
Health Service (Family Planning) Act, 1967. Formerly, advice and
treatment were provided only for married women on medical grounds, but
from 1st August, 1968, the service was made available to all borough
residents whether married or unmarried, and the Council accepted
financial responsibility for advice, treatment and appliances supplied
except in those cases where there was no recommendation on medical or
medico-social grounds, and where the patient was not deemed to be in
necessitous circumstances. Where the patient or her family were
receiving, or eligible to receive, supplementary benefit, the Council
would undertake payment in full.
From 1st August, 1968, when this arrangement became effective, until
the end of the year, the Council met the cost of family planning help
for 1,689 residents.