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cian from Chase Farm Hospital, and the other, in Southgate, was attended by the
paediatrician from North Middlesex Hospital. The meetings provided a useful
exchange of information between officers of the various departments, and it is
intended to hold further meetings in 1968.
Population Screening for Carcinoma of the Cervix of the Uterus
This service, which commenced in 1966 for women between the ages of 35
and 60 years, was continued during 1967 at the special weekly sessions held at
three suitably situated clinics. It is emphasised that this test is for apparently
healthy women only and no examination, apart from the cervical smear, is carried
out. The patient and her family doctor are informed of the result and any treatment
which is necessary is arranged or carried out by the family doctor. Women are
recommended to have this test at five-yearly intervals.
Early in 1967 the North East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board was able
to increase the number of smears which could be examined from 60 to 90 per week
and this, coupled with a falling off in demand, resulted in the waiting time for a
test being virtually eliminated. At the end of February, this service was made
available at all ante-natal and post-natal sessions in the borough both for women
attending post-natally and also certain ante-natal patients and for those attending
for routine tests.
The falling off in demand continued during the year despite considerable
publicity and the fact that a high proportion of women "at risk" have still not
had this test. New publicity measures were planned for the coming year, including
a direct approach to factory employees.
Two thousand five hundred and ninety cervical smears were taken during antenatal
sessions and at the 117 special clinic sessions. Cancer cells were found in five
cases, all of them married women between 37 and 43 years of age. Treatment in
each case was arranged by their general medical practitioner at local hospitals.
There were four doubtful cases requiring further examination and 622 other
findings of a non-cancerous nature.
Thus, since the service began a total of 5,052 smears have been taken and
seven positive cases found.
Population Screening for Breast Cancer
An approach was made by a local hospital as to the possibility of the council
co-operating with the provision of thermographic apparatus for population screening
tests for breast cancer. This apparatus would also be used to provide other
diagnostic tests in the hospital service. The suggestion was favourably received by
the council and the matter is being pursued.
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