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29
1967
As the average attendance during 1966 was only 8 at sessions
designed to accommodate 10 to 12, it was felt that the service could
be more widely advertised and, in March, a letter from the Chairman of
the Health Committee appeared in the local press urging eligible women
to avail themselves of the facilities provided. Other articles
appeared in both the local and national newspapers and there was
considerable activity by women's organisations and by the National
Cervical Cancer Prevention Campaign.
In spite of this, Clinic attendances remained low and throughout
the year, 390 women were seen at 68 sessions, an average of only 6 per
session, a disappointing figure in view of the considerable nationwide
publicity and the insistence of pressure groups and other organisations
that there was a great demand for the service.
Towards the end of 1967, the Consultant Cytologist at St. Stephen's
Hospital intimated that the laboratory could accept an increased number
of smears from this borough and the Council decided that plans should be
made for an intensive publicity campaign to reach all women resident and
employed in the Borough. The campaign was timed to start early in the
following year, when it could be expected to arouse more interest than
during the Christmas and "Sales" periods.
1968
Publicity began in mid January. A simple leaflet giving details
of the test and services available was distributed to Welfare Centres,
Day Nurseries, Community Centres and women's organisations. The same
information was also included in "Local Affairs" sent to all rate-payers
and tenants of the Council and in this instance, to tenants of other
blocks of flats who would not normally receive it.
Approaches were made to the large stores and to industrial and
commercial organisations inviting them to send their women employees to
the Council's Centres, or alternatively offering to send the Council's
staff to run clinics on their premises if suitable facilities were
available.
The making of appointments was simplified and arrangements were
made to double the number of sessions held at very short notice if
necessary and to provide an evening session on "late shopping night" if
there were any demand for it.
Several commercial organisations responded by sending lists of staff
with a request for appointments and, in August, 3 sessions were arranged
in the medical department of a large store where 60 women were seen.
This intensified publicity resulted in 779 attendances throughout
the year as compared with 390 in 1967 and 15 extra sessions were held
including several in the evenings. Results on the whole, however, were
disappointing in view of the fact that almost every woman in the borough
must have been reached by propaganda in some form.