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3. HEALTH CLINICS
The Council has 16 health clinics sited to be reasonably accessible to every mother
in the borough. At these clinics sessions are provided for ante-natal and post-natal
care, child welfare, immunisation and vaccination, cervical cytology, family planning,
dental care, speech therapy, chiropody and physiotherapy. They are staffed by a medical
officer, a dental officer, health visitors and clinic nurses. In addition, they form
the centre from which is carried out the domiciliary work of the surrounding district,
namely home nursing* midwifery, and health visiting. Detailed accounts of the various
services provided at clinics are given either below or as part of other sections of this
report.
Additional mention must be made of the Mobile Clinic which is now being used for
regular Child Welfare Sessions at Steyne Road Acton, Hanwell Community Centre and the
Go1f Links Estate. The Mobile Clinics' service is much appreciated particularly by
those who live in isolated housing estates at some distance from one of the static
clinics. It also gives valuable service in providing a clinic at points in the Borough
where there would otherwise be no facilities.
ANTE-NATAL AND POST-NATAL SESSIONS
Two types of ante-natal sessions are held at clinics:-
1. Midwife's sessions, where a mother is regularly seen by the midwife who will
attend her at confinement. The usual practice is for a mother to alternate a
clinic attendance with a visit to her family doctor who is responsible for her
ante-natal care.
2. Medical Officers' sessions. The pattern today is generally towards ante-natal
care being undertaken by family doctors and hospitals. Approximately one in five
mothers, however, still attend the clinic for ante-natal care by the Council's
medical staff.
The figures for 1970 were as follows:-
475 mothers attended medical officers' sessions for their ante-natal care.
252 mothers attended midwives' sessions for their ante-natal care.
843 mothers attended ante-natal relaxation classes.
165 mothers attended post-natal sessions.
CHILD WELFARE SESSIONS
At these sessions, teaching in infant feeding, general care and mothercraft is given
by the medical officer and the health visitor. The medical officer is responsible for
examining all the new babies and being concerned with feeding problems, behaviour
difficulties, and the follow-up of all children needing medical supervision.
When children reach their first birthday, then and on subsequent birthdays until the
age of five, they are sent an attractively designed birthday card. This contains a
request for the mother to bring the child to the clinic for a " birthday check". By
this means the medical officer is able to determine the developmental progress of each
child and to assess if there is any departure from normal.
Apart from routine work of this sort, other important screening procedures are
carried out:-
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