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PERSONAL HEALTH
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 1970 at ante-natal sessions and at the
special clinic sessions which are held when necessary. The test is for
apparently healthy women only and no examination, apart from the cervical
smear, is carried out. It is recommended that the test be taken at five-yearly
intervals.
One thousand, five hundred and thirty-eight smears were taken during the
year. Cancer cells were found in the smears taken from four married women
who were aged 32 years, 33 years, 37 years, and 56 years.
Since the service began a total of 10,697 smears have been taken and 25
positive cases found, i.e. 2.3 per 1,000 examinations.
Midwifery
Section 10
Health Services and
Public Health Act 1968
Under Section 10 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 it is the
duty of every local health authority to provide a domiciliary midwifery service.
The Section enables local health authorities to make provision for midwives
to attend women elsewhere than in their own homes or in hospitals vested in
the Minister, the intention being to obtain greater flexibility in the deployment
of midwives and promote greater co-operation between the local authority
midwifery service and general medical practice. The Section also provides
for arrangements between local health authorities for the services of midwives
employed by one authority to be made available in another authority's
area on agreed terms and conditions and for a similar arrangement to be
made between a local health authority and a hospital authority.
Midwives Act 1951
The local health authority is also the local supervising authority for the
purposes of the Midwives Act 1951.
The number of births, as well as the percentage of domiciliary births (17.8%
this year) has steadily decreased since 1965, whilst the percentage of
hospital confinements (64.3% this year) and planned early discharge cases
(17.9% this year) has increased. For the first time the number of early
discharge cases was greater than the number of domiciliary births.
Domiciliary midwives attended 685 confinements.
They also undertook the care of 690 patients discharged home after hospital
confinement before the tenth day, the majority being patients for whose care
arrangements had been made under the Council's planned early discharge
scheme. The figure includes, however, those who took their own early
discharge from hospital and also some who were booked for home confinement
but who were subsequently admitted to hospital as emergency cases.
Included in the local figures of confinements are births to some very young
teenage girls.
The issue of maternity packs and "The Baby Book" to expectant mothers
continued as in previous years.
Planned early
Discharge of
Maternity Patients
Planned early discharge schemes for suitable patients continued in operation
in conjunction with North Middlesex and Chase Farm Hospitals, thereby
ensuring availability of maternity beds for the maximum number of those
requiring hospital delivery on medical or social grounds.
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