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child health centre at Tooting, continued to act as the Council's
agents in providing this service. There is no charge for consultation
or medical supplies for patients recommended on medical
grounds and patients referred on social grounds pay only for
supplies, although in cases of economic difficulty, supplies may be
given free of charge.
Ten sessions a week are now held in our centres and four
sessions a week are run in hospitals; the total number of patients
seen has increased following the opening of the new centre at
Tooting.
During the year, the domiciliary family planning service served
199 new patients compared with 239 in 1968. It is hoped that
this trend will persist and that more patients will avail themselves
of the clinic facilities which are now more easily available in
Wandsworth. The domiciliary service is fully comprehensive and
is offered to married and unmarried women on the recommendation
of doctors, health visitors, social workers, field staff of the
Children's and Welfare Departments and other social agencies.
Throughout the year there has been good communication with
hospital consultants, general practitioners and with the neighbouring
Boroughs of Merton and Richmond with whom we have
arrangements for treatment to be given on a " knock-for-knock "
basis.
The cost of the service during 1969 was approximately £14,000,
a considerable increase over the 1968 expenditure, but amply
justified by the improvement in the service provided.
During the year, some adverse effects of the high-oestrogen pill
brought into focus the need for a thorough follow-up of patients
on contraceptive steroid treatment. This has been carried out and
good communication with the Committee on the Safety of Drugs
has been maintained.
The family planning clinics are becoming increasingly popular
and this is due in no small measure to the high standard of
service which is provided. The quality of any service is a reflection
of the efforts of those who provide it and in this connection
our special acknowledgments and thanks are due to Dr. Duncan
Whyte and Dr. Edge, as well as to the nurses and organising staff
of the Family Planning Association.