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National Cancer Control Campaign in an experimental venture, using the new trailer already mentioned,
to ascertain whether members of the general public would take immediate advantage of
mobile clinic facilities. To this end, the trailer was stationed near St. Martin-in-the-Fields, just off
Trafalgar Square, and it was used on 17th June to publicise the importance of cervical cytological
screening and to invite those women who showed an interest to be screened on the following day
in the vehicle, which was fully equipped to serve as a mobile clinic. Sessions in the morning and
afternoon were arranged for 18th June and the project proved a great success, no fewer than 32
women being examined. The interest which this venture aroused amongst women working in
offices in the area was reflected in the large numbers of staff employed in Whitehall who attended
the Ebury Bridge Road clinic during the ensuing weeks.
In the year as a whole, 1,984 new patients were seen, showing a decline of 311 on the previous
year; of these, 552 were seen at Marylebone, 550 at Ebury Bridge, 416 at Harrow Road, 339 at
Hallfield, 95 at Queen's Park, and 32 in the mobile clinic near Trafalgar Square. In addition, 228
women had a further cervical smear examined (compared with 135 the previous year), making a
grand total of 2,212 screening examinations carried out during 1969. Four of the women seen for
the first time proved to have a positive smear, their ages ranging from 57 to 37 years, and all were
referred promptly to their family doctors for the necessary treatment to be arranged. Approximately
one in every three women seen had to be referred to her general practitioner in relation to some
abnormality discovered incidentally—principally Trichomonas or Monilia infections, senile vaginitis,
cervical erosions, cervical polyps, uterine fibroids and various forms of uterine prolapse—and one in
eight of those attending was requested to return for a repeat examination. Thus, the screening process
continued to be productive in the wider sense, irrespective of age, marital status, or size of family.
58 per cent, of all the women attending were over the age of 35.
Finally, it is again a very real pleasure to record the gratitude of the Health Department to Dr. Bate
and his cytology staff at the Samaritan Hospital, for help given unstintedly throughout the year. To
end on an optimistic note, arrangements were in hand at the end of the year for a screening team
from the Health Department to undertake a weekly visit to a large store in the West End, employing
several thousand women. Such a venture may well prove a more effective means of screening those
married women whose families have grown up, and who belong to the group most in need of this
service, than seeking to persuade them to attend clinics near their homes. For this reason 1970 will
be a year of particular interest.
STAFF MEDICAL SERVICE
A medical suite is provided in the Health Department at the City Hall and is staffed by a Principal
Medical Officer and a trained nurse. First aid is available for any member of the staff in City Hall and
arrangements are made as necessary for patients to be referred to their own general practitioners or to
hospitals.
The system of physical medical examination prior to entry to the Council's service has been
replaced by a medical questionnaire, a medical examination only being necessary in cases in which
there is any doubt or matters which need to be further considered. It is of interest to note that out of
1303 medical questionnaires scrutinised by the Principal Medical Officerduring 1969,inonly89cases
was it necessary to call the patient for interview and examination.
Medical examinations are also undertaken in regard to extended sick leave of members of the
City Council's staff, some who unfortunately have to be retired on grounds of permanent ill-health,
and in respect of parking meter exemptions. The extension of parking meter areas to other parts of
Westminster has inevitably resulted in a large number of applications for exemption from the
charges made.
Medical examinations of certain categories of staff, such as drivers and sewermen, are carried out
as a routine measure at entry to the Council's service and are repeated at regular intervals thereafter.
As a matter of mutual convenience, arrangements also exist to medically examine persons who are
joining local authorities in various parts of the country and thus obviate their having to travel long
distances again after the initial interview and appointment; the City Council obtains a reciprocal
service from other authorities.
Statistics relating to work undertaken in the medical suite during 1969 are set out in Table 46,
page 90.