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56
Nurses from the Middlesex Hospital spend a day working with a domiciliary midwife as part of
their obstetric training.
LOAN OF HOME NURSING EQUIPMENT
The City Council's scheme for the free loan of nursing equipment for use in the home continues
to operate satisfactorily and requests from Westminster residents for varied items of equipment
are met as far as possible.
There is no doubt that this service provides considerable assistance to relatives who have the
difficult task of nursing patients who would otherwise be occupying a bed in hospital.
During the year the pattern of items needed followed the same trend as in previous years.
The City Council is grateful to the British Red Cross Society (Paddington, St. Marylebone and
Westminster Divisions) for acting as agents in issuing smaller items of equipment.
Relationships with the professional and lay bodies in the field continue to be very satisfactory.
HOME DIALYSIS
The City Council was glad to assist with the installation of an artificial kidney machine at the
home of a 17 year old girl living in the Pimlico area.
At the request of the Home Dialysis Administrator, Royal Free Hospital, North Western Branch,
certain plumbing, electrical and other works were carried out in the girl's bedroom to enable the
hospital equipment to be installed and to function satisfactorily.
The then Ministry of Health has given general approval for expenditure on works of this nature
to be incurred by a local health authority and this case is an example of the rapid and successful
co-operation which can be achieved between two branches of the Health Service.
It is understood from the hospital that home treatment is proceeding satisfactorily and that the
girl is able to follow her normal employment.
FAMILY PLANNING
The National Health Service (Family Planning) Act 1967, conferred on local health authorities
a general power to provide either directly or through other organisations a service to advise on
contraception and to supply appropriate contraceptive substances and appliances. In compliance
with recommendations of the former Minister of Health, the City Council approved as from 1st
April, 1968, a service to be available to any person, irrespective of marital status, who required
family planning advice on medical or social grounds. A service was already provided for Westminster
residents recommended for family planning on medical grounds and this has accordingly been
extended to the unmarried. In such cases both advice and supplies and appliances are now free.
A full service has also been provided for Westminster residents who seek advice on social grounds,
but while advice is free for these patients a charge is made for supplies and appliances.
The City Council has increased the number of its own clinics while still using the Family Planning
Association as its agents; facilities are also granted to the Catholic Marriage Advisory Service.
A special service is also provided for women who find it difficult to attend one of the regular
clinics. This has replaced the former domiciliary family planning service run by the Marie Stopes
Memorial Foundation on behalf of the City Council. The health visitor in whose area the mother
lives visits the mother in her own home and then arranges for transport for her to one of the clinics,
often collecting her and arranging for the children to be cared for. The new arrangements are
working satisfactorily.
To provide help for the young unmarried person a special advisory clinic has been set up where
a doctor and social worker deal with the problems of young people. Any person male or
female under the age of 23 can visit the clinic for advice. More detailed reference is made by the
Principal Social Worker later in this Report to this service which it is felt is doing valuable work
in this field, both in helping young persons and as a preventive measure in combatting delinquency
and promiscuity.
Demand for the family planning service has increased considerably during the 9 months from
1st April and it is expected that this upward trend will continue steadily during 1969.