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45
Recuperative Holidays
During the year arrangements were made for the placement of
patients in suitable recuperative holiday homes. This service is restricted
to those people recovering from a recent acute illness, no longer in need
of nursing treatment and only requiring rest, fresh air and good food to
complete their treatment. Recommendations were received from hospitals
and general practitioners.
Seventy-four applications were received and suitable holidays
arranged for these patients—of this number 66 were adults and 8 school
children. In 8 cases the arrangements were cancelled at the patient's
request. The 8 school children were recommended under Section 48 of
the Education Act 1944.
Cervical Cytology
Sessions for the taking of cervical smears continued during 1968 and
in April it became necessary for a second session to be held each week as
one session only was not sufficient to deal with new patients in addition to
those who had had their first test the previous year and were returning for
retesting after twelve months. The usual procedure for this service is to
carry out a second examination twelve months after the initial test and a
further examination is then made after a further interval of three years.
Nine hundred and sixty five patients were examined during the year
and ninety seven of these were given a second test about three months later
after receiving treatment from their general practitioners. Approximately
eighty per cent of all patients were referred to their own general practitioners
for treatment or for further referral to hospital for other gynaecological
conditions. There were no positive cases of cancer found during 1968.
Loan of Nursing Equipment
The British Red Cross Society continued to operate the scheme for
the loan of nursing equipment. This equipment helps in the nursing of
patients in their own homes. A small hire charge is made but in cases
where the patient is unable to pay the hire charge, it is paid by the Borough.
Monies collected are used to purchase replacement equipment as required.
In addition additional equipment is purchased by the Borough to meet
requests for loan of articles on the approved list.
Number of articles loaned during the year 1,139
The Red Cross depot is at 39 Sheepcote Road, Harrow—Telephone
01-427 8788.