Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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The British Red Cross Society (Westminster Division) acts as the City Council's agents for the
issue of the smaller items of equipment and I should once again like to express my gratitude for their
services.
In addition to equipment already on loan, the following items were issued during the year:—
| Air rings | 12 | Easi carri hoists | 3 |
| Back rests | 46 | Fracture boards | 37 |
| Bed blocks | 2 | Hospital beds | 14 |
| Bed cradles | 27 | Penryn hoists | 11 |
| Bed pans | 15 | Quadrupeds | 4 |
| Bed tables | 5 | Ripple mattresses | 13 |
| Carri chairs | 2 | Toilet seat | 1 |
| Commodes | 226 | Tripods | 15 |
| Cot sided beds | 5 | Urine bottles | 15 |
| Dunlopillo mattresses | 16 | Walking frames | 108 |
| Wheelchairs | 66 |
CHIROPODY SERVICE
The chiropody service is provided under Section 28 of the National Health Service Act 1946, and
treatment is made available to the elderly, handicapped persons, expectant mothers and children.
The service is provided by a Chief Chiropodist, one Senior Chiropodist, and nine sessional
chiropodists; they work at 10 centres in the City Council area, including, by arrangement with the
Director of Welfare, a clinic at the Welfare Centre for the Handicapped at 10 Warwick Row, S.W.1.
for persons who normally attend the Centre, and for other handicapped people who are conveyed
there in Welfare Department's special coaches.
Arrangements are also made for some patients to receive their treatment in the surgeries of three
private contractual chiropodists. Domiciliary treatment is provided by seven private chiropodists on a
fee per treatment basis for patients who are housebound.
Transport facilities are now available for patients attending six centres, and further expansion is
envisaged.
A hydraulic chair has been purchased for the clinic at the Welfare Centre for the Handicapped,
and has been much appreciated by the patients and the staff at the Centre.
A regular service has been maintained in all but two of the residential old people's homes, and it is
hoped that these vacancies will be filled fairly soon.
Consequent upon the indisposition of the sessional chiropodist who attended Marshall Street
Centre, and the impossibility of recruiting a replacement, the City Council came to a temporary
arrangement with the Chelsea School of Chiropody for the provision of treatment for a number of
City Council patients during the period of one year from the end of April, 1970. These patients were
conveyed to the Chelsea School of Chiropody by City Council transport.
Liaison with hospital staff and allied services has been maintained concerning the welfare and
treatment of City Council patients.
As an example of the amount of chiropody treatment being provided, during December 1970 a
total of 43 sessions per week were worked at Centres; 67 treatments were provided in chiropodists'
own surgeries each week, and 104 treatments were provided in the homes of patients each week.
CERVICAL CYTOLOGY
This service continues to be offered at four screening clinics to all women under the age of 65
who live or work within the City of Westminster.
During the year 1,826 new patients were seen and a further 364 repeat examinations were carried
out, making a total of 2190 in 1970; 48 per cent of all women attending were over the age of 35. An
interesting new aspect of the service was the setting up of a weekly clinic at two of the large department
stores in the West End where the attendances numbered 401.