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Dental Care for the Priority Classes
Mr. G.C.H. Kramer, Chief Dental Officer, reports as follows:-
The number of sessions employed in the priority service was lower by 69 than in the previous year and the
numbers of patients seen and the items of treatment provided correspondingly fell.
As we have continued to accord real priority to this class of patient and have not sought to reduce the demand,
it seems that the many dental practitioners in the borough providing treatment under National Health Service
arrangements are at last finding it possible to accept more of these patients in their practices. This changing
pattern of supply and demand is being reported in many authorities and, particularly for the expectant and
nursing mothers, is to be welcomed as indicating continuing regular dental care with a "family dentist" instead
of a temporary arrangement with one of our clinics, which must cease as soon as the eligibility for treatment
expires. When a parent is a regular patient, a likely natural consequence is for children in the family also to
receive their treatment from the same practitioner, thus giving regular and continuing attention for a highly
•vulnerable section of the community.
We are, however, concerned for the pre-school children who do not receive treatment from any source and
whose dentition is seriously affected when we have the opportunity of seeing them after they have first
entered school. All too frequently, if the dental defects of the child have not caused pain to a degree which
has resulted in loss of sleep or family upsets affecting the parents, treatment is not sought. It is particularly for
such families that we must pin our hopes for future fluoridation of the water supplies, to bring protection
and benefits in better dental health without any effort on the part of those concerned.

Total number of dentures 15
Number of treatment sessions 311
Midwifery Service
There were 15 full-time midwives on the establishment at the commencement of the year 1970. The number has
decreased to 13 midwives and 1 acting supervisor from 1st September, 1970.
A scheme for attaching midwives to General Practitioner Obstetricians was introduced during the year and 11
midwives are attached. The scheme is working satisfactorily.
The Health Services and Public Health Act, 1968, makes it legal for midwives employed by the local authority
to go into hospitals to deliver patients, and from 1st February, 1970 a pilot scheme has been working whereby
domiciliary midwives go into hospital with their own booked planned early discharge patients, deliver them and
accompany them home by ambulance. 51 patients have been delivered successfully by domiciliary midwives.
49