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PERSONAL HEALTH
Section 21
National Health Service
Act, 1946
Health centres
Local health authorities are required to provide, equip and maintain health
centres. The Health Centre in Forest Road, Edmonton, known in the design
stage as Hertford Road Health Centre, was completed during the latter part
of the year. The local authority clinic staff moved in from former unsatisfactory
premises close by at the end of November, and were shortly joined
by the seven general medical practitioners who have been provided with
accommodation at the Health Centre. In addition, part of the accommodation
is used for purposes of welfare and rehabilitation by the Welfare Department.
I am pleased to report that all the various activities at the Centre were
soon satisfactorily under way, and I am grateful to all concerned for the
spirit of co-operation which prevailed during the settling-in period.
Plans are in being for a further health centre in the Borough in the reasonably
near future and a site has been secured off the Hertford Road, near
Old Road, in north-east Enfield.
Details of future establishments are given in the development plan table.
Care of Mothers and Young Children
Section 22
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 who are not
attendina orimarv schools maintained bv a local education authority.
Ante-natal and
Post-natal Sessions
A total of 443 women attended ante-natal clinics and 184 for a post-natal
examination, compared with figures of 553 and 284, respectively, for 1969.
These figures reflect the trend, noted in previous reports, for expectant
mothers to be cared for by the general practitioner and hospital services.
Five weekly ante-natal clinic sessions were discontinued.
Mothercraft and relaxation classes for expectant mothers, held in clinics
throughout the borough, continued to be popular, and were attended by 667
women. Many general practitioners who undertake the ante-natal care of
their patients refer them to these classes.
Child Health Sessions
The 2,057 sessions held during the year were attended by 12,758 children.
The total number of attendances was 77,041 compared with 83,413 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.
Assessment Centres
The Report on Child Health Centres accompanying Ministry of Health
Circular 34/68 included a recommendation that the early detection of
physical, mental and emotional defects should be a major function of a
modern preventive health service for the child, but that more comprehensive
assessment is a matter for referral through the family doctor to the hospital
service, and that hospital authorities should be asked to review their present
arrangements for comprehensive assessment centres for handicapped
children.
Following the continued discussions with the consultant paediatrician at
North Middlesex Hospital, an assessment centre was commenced in
September at the War Memorial Hospital. Sessions are held monthly and
are attended by the consultant paediatrician from Chase Farm Hospital and
by a principal 'medical officer and a health visitor from the Health Department.
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