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49
There are now in all eighteen sessions a week in the Borough. Sixteen are
run by the Family Planning Association and include six double doctor sessions;
the remaining two sessions are run by the International Planned Parenthood
Federation and are held at King's College Hospital.
The Domiciliary Family Planning service continues to give help to those
who, although needing advice about birth control, are unable or unwilling to
attend our Family Planning clinics. Referrals are channelled through the Health
Department and as most of these women have young children it is mainly the
health visitors who are the link with the Domiciliary Family Planning teams.
Success in preventing unwanted children is largely dependent on their co-operation
received and that of the family doctors whose permission to visit is always
sought. An increasing number of women are now being weaned from the
domiciliary service to the regular clinics.
As a half-way measure in this weaning process, monthly clinic sessions at
Moffat Child Health Centre are held by the domiciliary doctor specifically for
her patients who live in Louise Court, an 'intermediate accommodation' block
of flats. A nurse is available to fetch those who fail to attend, but the proportion
who keep their appointments unaided is most encouraging.
There were 166 new domiciliary cases during 1970 including a high
proportion of immigrant mothers; the total number of mothers visited was 244
and the total number of visits was:—
389 by the doctor and 665 by the nurse.
Much educational work has been done by showing films and giving talks
to young adults in schools, colleges and youth clubs.
(Sgd) Dr. M. P. Elman
Senior Medical Officer
The Principal Nursing Officer, Miss E. Early, reports as follows:—
HEALTH VISITNG
Although the major demand on health visitors' time has been the care of
mothers and young children, a continuing increase in the number of visits to the
homes of the elderly and to the mentally ill, have been reported and also of visits
of these individuals to the centres.
The overall staffing position has remained satisfactory. When difficulties
do arise, additional efforts of the staff concerned ensure that standards of work
do not suffer.