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76
Family planning
Our Borough has taken a leading part in implementing the 1967
National Health Service (Family Planning) Act and the service
provided to those who live or work in Wandsworth has continued
to grow steadily.
Throughout the year we have enjoyed excellent communications
with hospital consultants, general practitioners and with the neighbouring
boroughs of Merton, Richmond and Lambeth, with whom
reciprocal arrangements are in force.
As in previous years, the South-West London Branch of the
Family Planning Association has acted as the agent of the Council
in operating the clinics held in our maternal and child health
centres and on hospital premises. 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.
Further expansion of the service took place in 1971, three new
weekly sessions being provided at the Fairfield. St. Christopher's
and Stormont Centres respectively. These augmented the fifteen
sessions already held each week in Wandsworth—ten at our
maternal and child health centres and five in a hospital setting
(at St. James', Balham, and Queen Mary's, Roehampton). Oral
contraceptives remain the most popular form of birth control
prescribed.
In the course of the year, 3,336 new patients were seen, an
appreciable increase on the comparable figure for 1970 (2,729).
The total attendances increased similarly from 17,023 in 1970 to
20,318 in 1971. In marked contrast the number of domiciliary
patients declined from 194 to 154—reflecting the increasing success
of the domiciliary family planning team in weaning from home
to clinic, so to speak. This key domiciliary service is fully comprehensive,
free of charge, and easily available. Any doctor, health
visitor, social worker or probation officer can recommend that the
domiciliary service be given and every case receives prompt
attention.
Wandsworth ranks high amongst local health authorities in terms
of per capita expenditure on family planning and the record of
steady expansion in this field reflects most creditably on the quality
of service provided by the Family Planning Association doctors
and the other members of their teams.
In this connection our special thanks are due to Mrs. CramptonSmith.
the Organising Secretary, Dr. Duncan-Whyte, Dr. Edge and
all the nurses and clerical staff of the Family Planning Association.