View report page

27
PERSONAL HEALTH SERVICES
These services are provided under Part III of the National Health
Service Act of 1946.
Section 22 — Care of Mothers and Young Children
Ante-natal and post-natal clinics were held for the benefit of expectant
mothers at fourteen centres throughout the Borough. Consideration of
the numbers making use of these facilities compared with the number of
births during the year again illustrate the present day trend of ante-natal
care moving away from the clinic towards either the hospital and/or the
general practitioner's surgery. The planned early discharge of maternity
patients permitting delivery in hospital and discharged to own home
after 48 hours is popular with mothers and probably has some bearing
on the decrease in attendances at ante-natal clinics. To counter-balance
this decrease in ante-natal attendances at the clinics, there has been an
increase in the number of "preparation" classes held by appointment at
ten centres. Thirteen classes giving instruction in mothercraft and antenatal
relaxation are held each week. Each course lasts between 8/9 weeks
and starts during the fifth month of pregnancy.
The weekly haematology clinic is held every Thursday afternoon at
the Caryl Thomas Clinic, Headstone Drive. This clinic provides a central
point for taking blood specimens from expectant mothers referred from
other clinics or direct from general practitioners. The Pathological
Department at Edgware General Hospital obliges with immediate tests
and reports on all specimens. Appointments from the haematology clinic
can be made by telephoning the clinic :- TEL.: 427 4484.
Advice on the feeding, hygiene and general management of the
infant is made available at eighteen centres where child welfare and clinic
sessions are held. These sessions have a great educational value and
judging by the number of mothers attending with their children, are very
much appreciated. The guidance, encouragement and education of the
young nursing mother, in congenial surroundings has much to recommend
it and may be said to be the main function of a child welfare clinic.
Special toddlers' sessions are also held where mothers of older children
are seen by appointment. Here the mother has ample opportunity to
discuss with the clinic staff the general developmental progress of her
child. Facilities for vaccination and immunisation are available at all
child welfare sessions. The following table gives the number of children
attending infant welfare and toddlers' sessions from 1962 to 1966.
Year Number of Children Attending Clinics
1962 8,651
1963 9,381
1964 10,527
1965 11,647
1966 12,224