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nursery, creche orplaygroup. Special educational help is required for many children.
FAMILY PLANNING
Family Planning sessions conducted on behalf of the Council by the Fami1y Planning
Association are held at three of the Council's Clinic Centres, 313 sessions being held
during the year. In addition, Council sessions staffed by Medical Officers and Health
Visitors are operated at a further four clinic centres.
In November the Family Planning Association commenced to provide a Domiciliary
Service following the partial service provided for some time by the Council whereby
preliminary visiting was carried out by the Non-medical Supervisor of Midwives the
patients subsequently being transported to a clinic to see the Doctor.
This year new patients numbered 1 371, an increase of 121 ovfer last year.
Statistics on page 83.
FEEDING DIFFICULTIES
Facilities are provided at a centre outside the Borough for in-patient treatment
of mothers and babies when breast feeding difffCulties are experienced or of babies
with dietary problems. It was not found necessary to utilise these facilities during
the year.
HEALTH EDUCATION
The resources of the health education section have been more widely used by the
clinic centres for their mothers' clubs, one notable result of this being an evening
meeting for parents when a series of films on sex education was shown, with marked
success and requests from the parents for further meetings of this nature. This
link with parents isparticular1y valuable on account of the interest it stimulates in
health education in schools.
Requests from schools have fallen into two distinct categories; firstly, those
requiring active participation by heal th educators, andsecondly, those seekingadvice,
liaison with other agencies and/or assistance with audio-visual aids. Owing to
shortage of staff it has not been possible to maintain the former intensive involvement
in schools and short courses on various health topics have been arranged. Health
visitors have continued to take part in these courses as well as in several cases
meeting the demands of their own local schools.
In all, nine secondary and six primary schools (including two schools for the
educationally subnormal) have taken part in health education programmes during the year.
In addition, several secondary schools requested assistance with Newsom-type science
courses and/or audio-visual aids. Subjects covered by schools programmes ranged from
hygiene to smoking, which have been discussed both specifically and in relation to
other subjects, e.g. pregnancy. Films and slides have been used in discussions of
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