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CERVICAL CYTOLOGY
Regular sessions have continued throughout the year at all the main health centres
in the Borough. In addition, special sessions were held in one large new store in
Lewisham for the benefit of the female staff.
A new scheme, authorised by the Health Committee in October, 1968, was put
into operation at the Lind Health Centre and has been very successful. This scheme
involved working through general practitioners, and two practices in the Lind area
were approached in this respect. It was agreed that letters signed by the doctors
be sent to all women patients in the appropriate age range on their lists. The letters
invited women to attend the Lind Health Centre for a smear test, and asked them
to make their own appointments at the clinic. In the case of the first practice the
doctors themselves wished to undertake the testing of their own patients; the tests
for the second practice were to be carried out by a medical officer employed by the
Health Department. In both cases the clerical work was to be done by the Health
Department, who would also supply the clinic staff required.
The scheme came fully into operation in the first week of July. By November an
opportunity had been given to all the women concerned in these practices to have a
test carried out. A second letter was then sent to all who had not availed themselves
of this first opportunity and this resulted in a few more acceptances. It is proposed
that a regular cytology session should continue to be held at the Lind Health
Centre on a monthly basis in the future.
In view of the success of this enterprise similar schemes are being arranged in
other parts of the Borough for the future.
CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
Figures are supplied to the Registrar-General of all congenital malformations
recorded at birth or observed during a child's first year of life. The co-operation
of hospitals and general practitioners in this arrangement is, of course, essential
and the periodic publication by the Registrar-General of the collated returns enables
changes in national and regional patterns to be detected and examined. Children
are not identified individually to the Registrar-General but locally all such children
are considered for placing on the Lewisham Observation Register of handicapped
and those at risk of becoming handicapped. An intensive follow-up of children
placed on the register is now a routine procedure.
With effect from 1st January, 1969, the list of abnormalities in the coding list
used in connection with notification to the Registrar-General was shortened, the
change being made to bring the G.R.O.'s list in line with the current edition of the
International Classification of Diseases. This in part accounts for the reduced
number of notifications as compared with previous years.
During the year a total of 86 children were reported, which figure represents
1.9% of total live births in the Borough.
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