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achievement of a balanced diet, budgeting on a small income, exercise, living
accommodation, the problems of loneliness and the importance of recreational
activities.
The clinics are staffed by one of the Council's assistant medical officers, and
a health visitor or clinic nurse. Persons attending the clinic for the first time are
medically examined and those requiring treatment are referred to their family dootor.
During the year 41 persons made a total of 182 attendances.
Smokers' Clinics
Five courses of five weekly evening sessions were held. One hundred and
twelve persons paid 315 visits, an average of three visits per person.
Thirty-three persons achieved full attendance and thirteen attended four sessions.
The average attendance per session was thirteen.
Thirty persons claimed to have stopped smoking, and twenty-one claimed to
have reduced the amount they smoked, at the end of their course.
The sessions of approximately two hours' duration were devoted to lectures,
film shows, group discussions, and the use of the Wright Peak Flow Meter.
The Principal Medical Officer for Maternity and Child Health conducted the
sessions, aided by health visitors, the health education organiser and visiting medical
specialists.
An analysis of the results obtained by the smokers' clinic was made again this
year by means of a questionnaire. This was sent to persons who had attended the
clinics during 1967, one year prior to the questionnaire, to discover their subsequent
smoking habits.
The questionnaire was sent to 96 men and 50 women, of whom 41 men and 18
women replied. Of those who replied, eleven men and two women were nonsmokers
one year subsequent to attendance at the course; three men and three women
had substantially reduced the amount smoked; and six men had changed from
cigarette to pipe smoking.
In view of the number of people who resume smoking a few weeks after the
end of the course, follow-up meetings have now been started to try to encourage
successful attenders to remain non-smokers.
Recuperative Care
This scheme provides holidays for persons who are recovering from recent
illness or operation, who do not need medical or nursing care and who require only
rest, fresh air and good food to complete treatment. Normally, application is made
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