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PART II
PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL
Co-ordination and co-operation with Hospital Services and Family Doctor Services
The valuable links with the Hospital and Family Doctors Services, described in last year's Annual Report, have
been continued. The attachment and liaison schemes between the domiciliary staff and family doctors have
continued. Unfortunately there has been little progress with Health Centres.
The scheme for notification of congenital defects apparent at birth continued as in previous years and a table
is included in the report.
The Department of Health asked for information about the Family Planning Service; Health Education; and
action taken by the Council on contact tracing and the control of venereal disease, and reports are included.
The Department of Health also asked for any action taken by the Council on the fluoridation of public water
supplies but during the year there has been no action.
Special investigations have been carried out into the gradual increase, between 1968-1971, in the number of
infant deaths in the post natal period, and Dr. Golder's report is included.
There is also a report about the five years experience in breast cancer screening organised by Mr. Abel, Consultant
Surgeon at the Prince of Wales's and St. Ann's Hospitals.
ANTE-NATAL SERVICES
The attendance at the ante-natal clinics continues to decline and as a consequence of the closure of the
Alexandra Maternity Home this decline was accelerated and the Health Committee has decided to reduce the
number of ante-natal sessions at the various clinics.
The Alexandra Maternity Home was closed on 31 December, 1972 because the modern policy is for hospital
care to be given in larger units where the full facilities of a general hospital are available and this is now
practicable because the length of stay in maternity hospitals has been considerably reduced in recent years.
The Alexandra Maternity Home was established in 1943 by the former Borough of Hornsey, when the Council
of that Borough purchased the Alexandra Park Nursing Home for the purpose of a municipal maternity home and
thirty years of excellent service were provided to a large number of Hornsey and Haringey mothers in these
premises under the care of Matrons, Howell, Ball and Davis.
DEATHS IN THE POST-NATAL PERIOD
Dr. R. Golder, Principal Medical Officer Maternal and Child Health
In England and Wales deaths of infants between the ages of 1 week and 1 year have not declined in numbers in
recent years. This is in contrast to the still birth and first week deaths which have shown a slow but steady
decline both nationally and locally. The Haringey figures for 1 week to 1 year deaths have been higher than the
national average and have been rising until 1972. The Department of Health has been concerned about this
national problem and a number of studies have been made which have shown that social and environmental
factors influence the numbers of deaths in this age group considerably.
Over the past five years the actual numbers of babies between age 1 week and 1 year who have died in the Borough
are as follows:—
37