London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Harrow 1971
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
This page requires JavaScript
36
Association acting on an agency basis for the local authority who provide
free clinic facilities and equipment. Due to an increased waiting list there
was an obvious need for more family planning clinics and, after discussions
between the health department and officials of the local branch of
the Family Planning Association, arrangements were made for two
sessions to be held at an additional centre—Honeypot Lane Clinic,
Stanmore. A morning I.U.D. session and an afternoon family planning
session commenced in October 1971.
At the end of the year, therefore, clinics were being held in four centres providing 9 sessions a week, as follows:-
| Caryl Thomas Clinic, | Monday | 7.00-8.00 p.m. |
| Headstone Drive, Weadstone | Wednesday | 1.30-3.00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 7.00-8.00 p.m. | |
| I.U.D. Session | Friday | 10.00-12.00 noon |
| Alexandra Avenue Clinic, | ||
| Alexandra Avenue, | Tuesday | 10.00-11.00 a.m. |
| South Harrow | Thursday | 7.00-8.00 p.m. |
| Cecil Park Clinic, | Friday | 7.00-8.00 p.m. |
| Cecil Park, Pinner | ||
| Honeypot Lane Clinic, | ||
| Honeypot Lane, Stanmore | Thursday | 1.30-3.00 p.m. |
| I.U.D. Session | Thursday | 10.00-12.00 noon |
A special clinic is held at Caryl Thomas Clinic for patients with
marital difficulties. A domiciliary service is now available for cases
referred for family planning who will not, for one reason or another,
attend a family planning clinic. There has been little use made of this
service where women can be visited by a family planning doctor in their
own homes, as the alternative scheme whereby patients can be conveyed
from their home to the clinic has been more frequently and successfully
used. In this way the socially maladjusted and women with other problems,
particularly those who are incapable of caring adequately for children
where sterilisation has not been contemplated, have been successfully
dealt with.
In order to get standardisation across the country, the Family
Planning Association evolved a series of national agency schemes and
Scheme No. 6, which corresponded to the existing arrangements, was
applied in Harrow from the 1st April 1971. This provided free consultation
and free supplies to medical and social cases at a charge to the local
authority of £4.85, or £2.10 where supplies are not provided. The application
of this scheme meant that in all cases other than medical and social
a charge would be made to the patient. With the receipt of Circular
36/71, it was agreed to amend this policy from the 1st November 1971
by the adoption of Agency Scheme No. 5, which provides free advice for
all and free supplies for medical and social cases. Thus by the end of the