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ADOPTION AND BOARDING-OUT
Children are medically examined by Health Department medical officers prior to
admission to children's homes or private foster homes on request from the Children's
Department. Reports are also made to the Children's Officer as to the suitability of
persons wishing to adopt or foster children, and advice provided on children being
considered for adoption or boarding-out. During the year 51 children were examined and
reports were made on 24 prospective adopters.
CERVICAL CYTOLOGY
The Minister of Health approved the Council's proposals to extend the services
provided under Section 28 of the National Health Service Act by the provision of a service
for the collection of cervical smears for cytological investigation by hospital authorities.
Following an increase in facilities for reading slides in the pathological laboratory
of one of the local hospitals, this service was expanded during the year by increased
sessions in the Council's clinics. In addition a general practitioner commenced holding
regular sessions in her surgery, assisted by a member of the staff of the Health Department,
and the Family Planning Association continued taking smears at sessions held in Council
clinics. From these 879 examinations were carried out. In addition, hospitals in the
area read 3801 slides and although all the latter did not refer to borough residents it
can be assumed that the majority did. Furthermore equipment was supplied to eight other
general practitioners in the borough but no records are available of the numbers examined
by them.
Details will be found on page 106 of the Appendix.
CHIROPODY
Foot clinics are held at seven of the Health Department's establishments and at two
other premises. Treatment is provided for corns, callosities and malformed nails; advice
is given on shoe fitting, foot hygiene and exercises. A total of 32 sessions are held
each week by one full-time and eight part-time chiropodists. For those unable to attend
clinics, five of the chiropodists visit their homes to give treatment. Treatment is free
to old persons, to those on retirement pensions, expectant mothers and to schoolchildren.
Statistics on page 106 .
CONGENITAL DEFECTS
Notifications of congenital abnormalities under the national scheme recommended by
the Ministry of Health in 1963 continued throughout the year. Defects found in stillborn
and liveborn children within 36 hours of birth were made on birth notification forms by
hospital or domiciliary staff, details of which are as follows:-
32.