London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Richmond upon Thames 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]
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CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Clinics
Number of women attended:
Ante-Natal Attendances Post-Natal Attendances
489 1,632 32 34
Sessions held 377.
Ante-natal relaxation and post-natal exercises are taught in all the clinics. 866
women made 3,137 attendances at these clinics during the year.
Incidence of Congenital Malformations
Since 1st January, 1964 the Ministry of Health (now the Department of Health
and Social Security) have required all congenital malformations in new-born babies to
be notified by Local Health Authorities to the Registrar General, so as to enable the
latter to complete statistical information from which to detect any national or regional
changes in the pattern of congenital malformations.
The number of babies born with defects during 1970 was 39.
Family Planning
Medical Cases.
The arrangement whereby the Council pays for women referred by its own
medical officers on medical grounds continued in 1970 when 49 patients were referred.
Domiciliary Cases
In accordance with the Council's scheme, 48 cases were referred to the Domiciliary
Service of the Family Planning Association up to the end of the year.
Youth Counselling Service
The Youth Counselling Service has now been established for 18 months. There
were 36 new cases during the calendar year and 144 interviews were carried out. The
majority of the clients were under 21; only three were young men. The trend observed
in the previous annual report on the service continues to be borne out by subsequent
work. The majority of the clients were young women seeking contraceptive advice or
help in coping with the problems of termination, who are frequently referred to the
clinic because they are felt to be in need of help with emotional problems. A number
of the clients are referred with other personal difficulties.
Referrals are received from many different sources which are listed below:—
| Gynaecologists | 4 | Community Care Association | 4 |
| General Practitioners | 2 | Voluntary Workers | 1 |
| Health Department | 6 | Youth Advisory Service | 2 |
| Mental Welfare | 1 | Colleges | 4 |
| Family Planning Association | 1 | Relatives | 1 |
| Children's Department | 3 | Friends | 6 |
| National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child | 1 | Total | 36 |
The close association with the Royal Hospital, Richmond has been maintained.
It is gratifying to note the number of clients referred from other agencies but it would
be encouraging if the public were more generally aware of the existence of the clinic
so that more youngsters were able to refer to clinic directly for help.
18