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Advisory Centres, and representatives of the Council's medical, nursing and social worker staff. The
implications of the decision to establish a free service were discussed and plans for the co-ordination of
the services improved.
CERVICAL CYTOLOGY
Cervical cytology sessions (six per week) continued to be held in conjunction with family planning
sessions. Attendances were by appointment and the total number of smears sent for examination was
1,293, a slight increase compared with 1,153 in 1970. The results were:-
Normal 1,188
Other gynaecological disorders (excluding cancer) which
required treatment. These women were referred to their general
practitioner or directly for gynaecological advice and treatment. 87
Doubtful cases referred for repeat examination 17
Positive: referred to hospital 1
Age Group
Under 25 381
25 - 34 476
35 - 44 236
45-54 140
Over 55 60
FIVE YEAR RECALLS
The national cervical cytology screening service for women aged 35 years and over started in January,
1967 and in October 1971 the Department announced that a national recall scheme would begin in January,
1972 whereby women aged 35 and over, whose previous test result was negative, would be invited to have a
further test, five years after their last examination. A revised version of the national request/report form
HMR.101/5, introduced in 1967, will be introduced in 1972. This will then be a national request/report/
recall form. The local health authority will receive copies of the form for all women tested in its area,
irrespective of where the test originated.
In Islington, a cervical cytology service was started in April 1966, prior to the national scheme, and
the women then examined were thus due for a repeat smear in 1971. A local recall scheme was, therefore,
started in the spring of 1971. This will be merged with the national recall scheme to start in 1972.
RECUPERATIVE HOLIDAYS
It was decided by the appropriate Committee that this service although a social services function
should continue for the time being to be administered by the Public Health department for the Social
Services Committee.
355 persons were recommended by their doctors, hospital consultants, etc., for recuperative holidays
during 1971. Only suitable persons recommended on medical grounds as being in need of rest, fresh air
and good food to aid recovery from recent illness could be considered. 43 recommendations were not
approved, some on the grounds that medical and nursing care were required, and these applications were
referred to the appropriate hospital boards. Others related to elderly persons who had not recently been ill
and these were referred to the Social Services Department, etc. Recommendations on behalf of school children
were mostly referred to the Inner London Education Authority which maintains two holiday homes.
86