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Another interesting feature in the work of the Chief Nursing Officer's section of the Health Department
is the number of students who visit from all other branches of nursing and social work training
and from overseas. Student nurses from the London teaching hospitals are regular visitors. During
1965 a total of 544 students visited the Department. (See Tables 30, 31, 32 and 33, page 67.)
Phenylketonuria
Health visitors undertake urine tests on all babies between the ages of six and eight weeks either
at the infant welfare clinics or at the children's homes. Where a phenistix strip gives a doubtful reaction
the ferric chloride solution test is carried out. During 1965, 3,126 tests were made and no positive
reaction was seen.
FAMILY PLANNING
Sections 22 and 28 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, enable local authorities to provide
without charge, family planning advice and treatment, either through their own clinics or by arrangement
with the local Family Planning Association, for women to whom pregnancy would be detrimental
to health. Under Part 3, Section 63, of this Act, the Westminster City Council allows the Family
Planning Association to hold clinics rent free in certain health service premises.
The City Council also grants the free use of some health service premises to the Catholic Marriage
Guidance Council and the London Marriage Guidance Council for counselling purposes.
A Family Planning Clinic is run by the City Council at the Maternal and Child Welfare centre
at 283a Harrow Road, W.9.
In addition, the Marie Stopes Memorial Foundation provides a domiciliary service to overburdened
mothers and others who are unlikely or unable to attend a family planning clinic, and to whom a
further pregnancy might well undermine their health and welfare.
Family Planning Sessions, 1965
(City Council Clinic at 283a Harrow Road)
Number of women attending during year 185
Total number of attendances during year 507
Number of sessions held during year 49
Immunization and Vaccination
Immunization and vaccination is available to all children under five years of age either at Welfare
Centres or from their general practitioners. Mothers are encouraged to have their children vaccinated
against smallpox and immunized against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and poliomyelitis as
soon as the child reaches the age where this is considered a necessary safeguard from these infectious
diseases.
Immunization is also available for school children up to the age of sixteen years and children who
have been immunized during pre-school age receive a protective "booster" injection. Sessions are
carried out in the schools.
Arrangements exist for general practitioners to be supplied free of charge with poliomyelitis vaccine
for persons up to the age of forty. It is usual for the general practitioner to obtain other immunizing
material from the chemist on prescription; the Council pays a fee of 5s. Od. for each completed record
of immunization for any child under sixteen years of age, providing it is sent within three months of
the completion of the course.
Supplies of smallpox lymph and anthrax vaccine can be obtained by doctors from the Central
Public Health Laboratories, Colindale and a supply of smallpox lymph is kept by the Health Department
for distribution to the maternal and child welfare centres. (See Tables 34 and 35, page 68.)
HEALTH EDUCATION
Health Education has been maintained actively in the City Council's Maternal and Child Welfare
Centres during the past year. A bi-monthly informal meeting is held in the City Hall where Centre
Superintendents or their health education representatives attend under the Chairmanship of the
Chief Nursing Officer to discuss new material available and any future projects on health education
including National Campaigns organized by the Ministry of Health. Welfare centres are given a
monthly health education topic which is developed by means of films, lectures and discussions. One
hundred and forty-six films were shown in the welfare centres during 1965.
Special Local Projects:—
(1) Oil Heaters.—A meeting was arranged for the benefit of immigrants in the Paddington area
of the City Council. It was held in conjunction with the Mothers' Club at Hallfield Welfare