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Family Planning
Under the Council's scheme, free advice and treatment continued to be available
through the Family Planning Association, to women in whom pregnancy would be
detrimental to health. Sixty-six women were provided with this service.
Clinic premises are made available, without charge, to the Family Planning
Association, one of the clinics being used for a regular counselling session for the
unmarried. At the end of the year fourteen weekly sessions and one fortnightly session
were being held in six of the Council's clinics. The Association continued to hold
one session a week at the War Memorial Hospital and two at Chase Farm Hospital
for the fitting of intra-uterine devices.
General medical practitioners provide family planning services under the
National Health Service Act, 1946.
The arrangement continued whereby women who are unable or unwilling to
attend a clinic, and to whom pregnancy would be detrimental to health, were referred
by the Health Department to the Family Planning Association for the provision of a
domiciliary service. Forty-eight women were referred under this scheme during 1969.
The Council pays an annual fee for each case treated.
In December a circular letter was received from the Department of Health and
Social Security about the development of family planning services in hospitals and it
is hoped to have consultations with local hospitals and the Family Planning Association
about this in 1970.
Day Care for Priority Groups
The Council provides day care for children under five years in the priority
groups (a) at its own day nursery, (b) in the day nurseries of other local authorities
in appropriate cases, and (c) with suitable registered private day nurseries, playgroups,
and child minders.
At the end of the year there were 59 children on the roll of the Council's 55-place
day nursery and ten placed in day nurseries of other local authorities. There were
27 children in the priority groups on the waiting list for day nursery places. The
children of unsupported mothers continued to occupy by far the largest number of
places. Five mothers who applied for places had made other arrangements by the
time vacancies could be offered.
The Council's day nursery, which is approved for the training of student nursery
nurses, is housed in adapted premises where the standard of accommodation
conforms, as far as the structural limitations of the building and site area allow, to
that recommended by the Department of Health and Social Security. During the
next few years it is hoped to provide two new 55-place day nurseries and to replace
the present day nursery by a third purpose-built building. It is intended that each
nursery should incorporate a 10-place unit for mentally sub-normal children.
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