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clinics by hospitals (after confinement or gynaecological treatment), health
visitors, their family doctors, or by friends and neighbours. By the end of 1969
there were seven centres in the Borough, three in hospital premises and four in
local authority centres. Some centres have several sessions a week and some have
"double doctor sessions" so that in 1969 there were no less than 1,025 doctor
sessions. In addition, about 200 new cases and 800 re-attendances were seen at the
twice weekly birth control clinics which are held at King's College Hospital and
provided by the International Planned Parenthood Federation. We have no way
of knowing how many women seek advice on family planning from their own
family doctors, but the number must be considerable.
A great step forward was taken when Lambeth Council implemented the
National Health Service (Family Planning) Act of 1967 in July 1969. This Act
enables local health authorities to provide free consultation for all and free supplies
for those referred on medical grounds and in necessitous cases. Since July 1969
no Lambeth resident has paid a fee for birth control advice at F.P.A. clinics.
Supplies must still be paid for except in medical and social cases. It is interesting
to note that all clinics in the Borough were busier during the last five months of
1969 and there was an increase of fifteen per cent in new patients recorded for the
year, as compared with a drop of two per cent reported in 1968, and the total
number of patients seen showed an increase of seventeen per cent for 1969.
More sessions are held in the evenings (when clinic premises are not being
used for child health clinics) than in the daytime. This arrangement satisfactorily
meets the needs because many women are working and so prefer to attend
evening sessions.
(Sgd) Dr. M.P. Elman
Senior Medical Officer
DOMICILIARY SERVICE
Although clinics are provided in the borough at different times of the day,
there will always be some women who because of difficult home circumstances,
cannot attend. Many of these women have large families and tend not to be able
to care adequately for them. In August 1968 it was arranged for the F.P.A. to
start a domiciliary family planning service for a few selected cases, the cost being
met by the Council. The following referrals have been selected ar random from
the records.
(1) "Mrs. X age 24, has 5 children. Family living in one room. Family
Planning has been discussed before but Mrs. X finds it too difficult
to get to a clinic."