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74
Unmarried mothers
Although the illegitimacy rate shows no sign of decreasing, more
unmarried mothers now make their own arrangements for confinement
and return to their own homes with their babies. There is
one mother-and-baby home in the Borough.
Cervical cytology
The cervical cytology service is available to women residing or
working in the Borough and our clinics continued to be well
attended during 1970. In all 2,352 women were examined compared
with 1,922 in the previous year.
The average number of eight patients who were seen at each
session gave the doctor enough time for a full gynaecological
and breast examination and also general health counselling. The
women doctors in charge of the clinics are experienced in gynaecology
and obstetrics and in particular are concerned with the
preventive aspects of the work.
Some general practitioners in the Borough prefer to provide a
cervical cytology service themselves but the majority advise and
encourage their patients to attend the Council's clinics.
During the year approximately five women in every thousand
screened were found to have a positive cervical smear and three
times as many had abnormal cellular changes requiring continued
observation. Here the clinic doctor performs a key co-ordinating
role ensuring that the relevant information is given to everyone
concerned so that all necessary treatment can be arranged as
rapidly as possible and patients recalled for repeat examinations at
appropriate intervals. The detection of minor but nonetheless frequently
troublesome infections or abnormalities is an important
by-product of cervical cytological screening and in 1970 such conditions
were detected in over one-third of the women attending the
clinic. Again the importance of clinical follow-up is highlighted
Finally, the value of routine palpation of the breasts is illustrated
by the discovery of two cases of mammary cancer.