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It was decided that the February topic on Nutrition should concentrate on the elderly and for this a
separate working party was set up including Miss MacLaughlin, Chief Dietician from the Middlesex Hospital,
and representatives from the City of Westminster Old People's Welfare Association. The working party
planned to conduct a small survey on the buying and eating habits of the elderly in the area, and on the
results to base a mobile exhibition to be used in chiropody clinics and luncheon clubs throughout the City.
It would be manned by student dieticians and health visitors.
By the end of 1972 plans for Health Education in 1973 were well established and these should provide a
firm foundation on which the Health Education Officer can base future campaigns.
FAMILY PLANNING
On 1st February, 1968, the City Council approved arrangements for the implementation in the City of
Westminster of the National Health Service (Family Planning) Act 1967. All forms of contraception were
provided to all residents of Westminster irrespective of marital status or sex. Those persons recommended
on medical grounds received advice, appliances and other supplies free of charge, whilst those seeking
guidance on non-medical grounds received free advice but a charge was made for appliances and supplies.
The service was provided and continues to be so, in part directly by the City Council and in part on an
agency basis by the Family Planning Association, the latter in company with the Catholic Marriage Advisory
Service being granted the use of accommodation free of charge in Health Department establishments.
Persons living outside the City of Westminster may attend the Family Planning Association's clinics run
by the Council's establishments in which case the Association applies to the appropriate local authority for
reimbursement of their expenses. This arrangement is especially valuable to the public. It is a common
practice of patients to choose a clinic not necessarily in their home area and this especially affects the City
of Westminster since large numbers of young girls and women travel from the suburbs into the City to
work and seek the anonymity of clinics in the area.
Early in 1972, the Medical Officer of Health reviewed the availability and sufficiency of free birth
control services in the City. Since the introduction by the City Council of a free service accompanied by the
supply of free contraceptives could possibly have an adverse effect financially on general medical practitioners
and chemists, the Medical Officer of Health drew this aspect of such a scheme to the attention of
the Inner London Executive Council, the Inner London Local Medical Committee and the Inner London
Local Pharmaceutical Committee. No objections were received. The Medical Officer of Health presented
his report to the Health Committee and subsequently the City Council approved the provision, as from
1st May, 1972 of an entirely free family planning service, including free contraceptives, to all Westminster
residents whether attending on medical or non-medical grounds. The City Council considered the decision
to be amply justified if it served to encourage wise family planning, bearing in mind that unwanted
pregnancies often led to child neglect and could generate a demand for children to be taken into care. In
addition the City Council authorised the issue of free contraceptives to patients attending their own medical
practitioners for family planning advice, on presentation of an appropriate prescription. General medical
practitioners in the City of Westminster were informed of the City Council's free family planning service
and to assist them a special prescription form was devised; pads of prescription forms together with a list
of contraceptive supplies available under the scheme were sent to medical practitioners on application. After
completion by the doctor, patients are at liberty to present the prescriptions at any of the family planning
clinics run directly by the City Council or by the Family Planning Association for free issue of the
prescribed items.
Considerable publicity was given to the introduction of the free service. This took the form of posters
and leaflets displayed at the Health Department's three administrative centres, the maternal and child health
clinics and the district nursing centres. By arrangement with the Chief Officers of the departments
concerned some 150 posters and 4,000 leaflets were distributed for display at the City Council's Public
Libraries, Day Nurseries and Social Services Department's area offices, the Finance Department's cash
receiving points, the Baths and Halls establishments, Housing Estate Offices and public conveniences. In
addition, supplies of leaflets and posters were sent to the Citizens Advice Bureaux. General practitioners in
the City were sent a poster and leaflets for display, if they so wished, in their surgeries. In total over 500
posters and 7,000 leaflets were distributed for display throughout the City.