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Health visitors are also attached to two group practices to attend "well-baby"
clinics in the surgeries. Each health visitor makes follow-up visits to those attending who
live on her district and acts as liaison officer between the family doctor and the health
visitor concerned with those who live outside her district but within the borough boundaries.
One of these practices also has the services of a home nurse to assist with the
follow-up of patients. She attends morning and evening surgeries.
Severe limitation on the extension of these schemes is imposed by the continuing
shortage of qualified staff. Furthermore before any such scheme can be started there is
need for adequate initial discussion and careful consideration of such matters as the
suitability of accommodation, selection of staff and the problems arising from the
overlapping of practice a teas with health visitors' geographical areas.
Each health visitor keeps in touch with general practitioners in her area and there is
continuing contact between general practitioners and the home nursing service. Wherever
suitable the opportunity is taken to increase liaison with general practitioners, particularly
in group practices, in preparation for the commencement of further attachment schemes
when the staffing situation allows.
Family Planning
The provision of a.family planning service in full implementation of the National
Health Service (Family Planning) Act 1967, was continued through the agency of the
Family Planning Association.
The Service is provided on the following basis: —
(a) No charges are made for advice or examination in all cases.
(b) No charges are made for drugs and appliances supplied where a further
pregnancy would be detrimental to health.
(c) Charges are made in other cases for drugs and appliances except in financially
necessitous cases.
In addition payment was continued to the Brook Advisory Centre on a per capita
basis for young unmarried persons over 16 years of age resident in Southwark.
In accordance with the Council's decision to provide a direct service through its own
clinics as soon as possible, discussions were held with representatives of the South East
London Branch of the Family Planning Association with a view to the transfer to the
Council's control of those clinics run by the Association in the Council's centres.
Agreement on the terms of transfer was reached late in the year and it is expected that
the Council will assume control of some of the clinics in 1969.
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