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117
For Cervical Cytology a leaflet was produced with the heading:
"Important to all women". It contained a simple explanation of
the test and the need for it and, again, a list of the available
clinics. The distribution was the same as for the Family Planning
material and there was also a poster with the slogan and telephone
number and for the convenience of health visitors and doctors
small cards were produced, of suitable size for the pocket or
handbag and intended to support personal commendation. As a
means of evaluation, the booking clerk asked each enquirer about
the source of referral and this revealed that the family doctor
accounted for the large majority of new cases.
Two special projects intended to boost the uptake of the
cervical cytology service were a series of clinics held in a local
factory in the early part of the year and the use of a Mobile Unit
during the month of September. Both were supported by publicity.
The approach to the factory was made following a trial at
another factory in 1971. In order to achieve an even uptake of
the service, all the women in the factory were sent in their paypackets
a letter of invitation to the clinic, department by department,
and the factory nurse added her personal commendation.
In all 71 women were seen, but many reported to the nurse that
they had been tested elsewhere. This uptake represented about
18% of the 400 women employed, which is comparable to the 20%
seen at the other factory in 1971. As these are the two largest
employers of women in Wandsworth it was not considered appropriate
to plan similar services in respect of other smaller
factories in the Borough.
One of the main hopes pinned on the Mobile Cytology Unit was
that the general publicity and interest generated by having it in
the Borough for a month would increase the uptake at the regular
clinics, but there was no significant change in this direction.
During the visit of the mobile unit volunteers distributed about
18,000 leaflets and it was of particular interest that the street
hand-outs were much more successful at persuading women to
attend than was the door-to-door distribution. Overall it took the
distribution of one hundred leaflets to persuade one women to
attend.
Health Exhibition at Gamett College
There was an exhibition at Gamett College during March on
similar lines to that of 1971. Again the nursing staff from the
Health Department prepared and manned an exhibit about the
services and functions of the Health Department in the
community, and this was much appreciated.