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HEALTH CENTRES
Section 21 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, requires local health
authorities to provide, equip and maintain health centres.
The construction of the Hertford Road Health Centre— the first in the
Borough— commenced in 1969, and its completion is anticipated in 1970. This
establishment will provide accommodation for seven general practitioners and
facilities for certain welfare functions, as well as providing the full range of local
health authority clinic services.
Details of future establishments are given in the Development Plan Statistical
Table 27.
CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Under Section 22 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, it is the duty of
every local health authority to make arrangements for the care, including in particular
dental care, of expectant and nursing mothers and of children who have not attained
the age of five years and are not attending primary schools maintained by a local
education authority.
Ante-natal and Post-natal Sessions
A total of 553 women attended the ante-natal clinics and 284 attended for a
post-natal examination. Many women attend their family doctor or hospital for
their post-natal examination. The trend for expectant mothers to be cared for by the
general practitioner and hospital services continues.
Mothercraft and relaxation classes for expectant mothers, held in clinics
throughout the borough, continued to be popular, and were attended by 746 women.
Many general practitioners who undertake the ante-natal care of their patients refer
them to these classes.
Child Health Sessions
The 2,099 sessions held during the year were attended by 13,405 children. The
total number of attendances was 83,413 compared with 91,335 last year.
During the year the scheme was continued whereby at various ages between
three months and four and a half years, each child in the borough is invited to
attend a clinic for the purposes of medical examination and for immunisation and
vaccination if arrangements are not being made through the family doctor. In this
way it is hoped to achieve regular supervision of the health of the child as well as
routine immunisation.
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