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PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICE
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CENTRES
The local clinic has continued to be a focal point for the mothers and babies of Islington during the
past year. All the usual clinic functions including ante and post-natal, family planning, child health and
toddlers sessions have continued.
Creche facilities continue to be in demand and all sessions are well attended. A total of thirteen sessions
was held each week, compared with nine in 1970.
Educational sessions have been held in the centres for a variety of groups of all ages and there has been
an increased attendance particularly where Mothers' Clubs are available.
Undoubtedly attendance figures at Council child health clinics are affected by the increased number of
such clinics held at general practitioners' surgeries at which health visitors are in attendance, and where
attendances totalled 6,031 (4,639).
STATISTICS
Attendances
(1970)
Borough Clinics
Child Health 40,652 (45,063)
Toddlers' 2,630 (3,239)
Ante and Post Natal 2,436 (3,023)
(excluding G.P.O. sessions)
Total 45,718 (51,325)
General Practitioners'Surgeries 6,031 4,639
Occasional Creche : sessions per week 13 (9)
attendances 4,366 (4,258)
HEALTH VISITING
Health visitors are well accepted by all strata of society and have become adept at coping with
different languages and cultures.
Fewer home visits have been made during the past year due to a changing work pattern. Where
parents are unable or unwilling to bring their children to a child health centre for hearing tests, health
visitors now carry these out in the home. Due to the ever increasing case-loads of geriatric visitors, geographically
based health visitors are now visiting more of the elderly in the population; this is in line with the
work pattern of health visitors attached to group practices, who are already involved in working with all age
groups. Health education is also a vital part of a health visitor's job and health education sessions are held in
the centres and schools. A slimming clinic commenced in River Place Health Centre in September at the
request of the general practitioners based there, patients being referred directly to the clinic, held fortnightly.
Cases visited by Health Visitors
flQ7n)
Children born between 1966 and 1971 15,839 (16,278)
Persons over 65 687 (220)
Mentally disordered persons 95 (150)
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