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FAMILY PLANNING
As envisaged in my previous report, the Council's decision of October, 1971 to provide a Family
Planning Service to all borough residents without charge, became effective from 1st April, 1972. From
that date, therefore, residents over the age of 16 could obtain free advice on family planning and family
planning requisites without charge at the Council's clinics. Additionally provision was made for residents
attending their own doctors for family planning purposes to obtain requisites without charge by presenting
their practitioners' prescriptions for dispensing at the Council's clinics.
Further developments to these arrangements included a reciprocal agreement with the neighbouring
borough of Hackney, whose service is comparable to Islington's; this agreement was on a "knock for
knock" basis and while conserving the principle that patients should be encouraged to attend clinics of
their own borough of residence, enables residents of both boroughs to obtain similar free facilities including
dispensing of general practitioners prescriptions at the clinics of either.
As a result of the above arrangements attendances at the Council's family planning clinics have shown
a marked increase and the number of weekly sessions was increased from 13 to 18 including the mobile
clinic which was brought into use in 1972.

The obstetric and gynaecological departments of various hospitals continued to refer patients to the
Council's clinics for follow-up; the total during the year was 427.
One of the Council's clinics was held in the Chest Clinic premises of the St. Mary's Wing of the
Whittington Hospital; early in the year special arrangements were made whereby patients recommended at
other clinics for I.U.D. were referred there for fitting the device. The number fitted during the year was 99.
Arrangements with voluntary organisations for agreed rates of reimbursement in respect of attendances
at their clinics by Islington residents were continued but extended to include provision for a free service in
accordance with the National Family Planning Agency Scheme No. 4. Payments to the Family Planning
Association for the financial year 1972/73 totalled £24,153 compared with £9,632 for 1971/72 and those
to the Brook Advisory Centre were £3,046 and £500 respectively for the same periods.
Towards the end of the year proposals were under consideration for the inclusion of vasectomy as
part of the Council's Family Planning Service in implementation of the National Health Service (Family
Planning) Amendment Act, 1972.
DOMICILIARY FAMILY PLANNING
The domiciliary family planning service continued to provide a valuable service for Islington women
who are unable or unwilling to attend a clinic owing to family restrictions. The doctor visits all new patients
and the follow-up visits are carried out by a nurse. During 1972, 81 patients were referred, compared with
46 in 1971. The sources of referral were as follows:-
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