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56
Family Planning
The Council has made arrangements for advice on methods of
contraception to be given to married women where pregnancy
would be dangerous or detrimental to health. Sessions are organized
by the Family Planning Association, who are provided with
rent-free accommodation at some of the Council's welfare centres.
No charge is made except for appliances supplied to the patient.
During the year a total of 223 such sessions were held.
Health Visiting Service
The health visiting service has continued its unspectacular but
nevertheless essential work throughout the year in spite of some
staff shortages. Home visiting is the basis of the health visitor's
work, and although the health visitors maintain some contact with
all families with children under five years of age, their help is
concentrated, by means of selective visiting, on the families needing
the most support. The health visitors are organized in groups with
offices in or close to the areas where they work so that they are
convenient of access to any family in need of their help. Although
a large part of the health visitors' work is concerned with giving
help and advice to mothers and young children, the unit of health
is now looked upon as the whole family. Accordingly, any member
of a family confronted with health or social problems can
obtain help and support through the health visitor who, in many
cases, will be the first line of approach.
This means that the health visitor must and does work very
closely with all other agencies concerned with the health and wellbeing
of the family or members of the family; that is to say, with
family doctors, midwives, mental health social workers and the
staff of the Welfare and Children's Departments. Particularly is
this so in relation to the health and welfare of old people which
now forms a not inconsiderable part of the health visitor's work.
The importance of close links with all other agencies cannot be
over-stressed and I am very happy to report that good and happy
relations exist.
The number of first visits made during the year to children
under five years of age were:—
Children born in 1965 7,557
Children born in 1964 6,308
Children born in 1960/63 11,590
Visits of all kinds paid by health visitors during the year
totalled:—
Effective visits 60,473
Unsuccessful visits 12,691
Domiciliary Midwifery Service
The Council, through the Health Committee, is responsible for
the domiciliary midwifery service and for providing "District"
training facilities for pupil midwives under the Midwives Act.