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
Richmond upon Thames 1972
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond upon Thames]
This page requires JavaScript
Despite all these changes at the clinic, patients have continued to come and there
were 72 new cases referred during the year. The increase of 20 new referrals was mainly
accounted for by an increase in referrals by friends of patients, making them one of the
major sources. This is recognized at the clinic as a welcome indication that it is becoming
a little better known amongst young people who could be potential patients.
The staff have once again been invited to discuss the clinic with other local authorities considering setting up similar services.
| Problems referred | Referral Sources | Age on referral | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contraception | 45 | Hospitals | 24 | Under 21 | 50 |
| Sexual problems | 10 | Family doctors | 4 | 21-25 | 12 |
| Other personal | Health department | 8 | 25 + | 5 | |
| problems | 10 | Self-referral | 1 | Unknown | 5 |
| Practical problems | 3 | Friends | 23 | ||
| Miscellaneous | 4 | Social services | 3 | 72 | |
| Other agencies | 9 | ||||
| 72 | |||||
| 72 |
Surveys
The department has taken part in a number of surveys during the year (either
during the actual period of the survey or research project or later in the various followup
functions) which has included the following: —
Sponsoring Body
Greater London Council
Oxford University
Department of Medicine, Charing Cross
Hospital Medical School
Department of Health & Social Security
— Joint Committee on Vaccination and
Immunisation
London Borough of Hounslow
West Middlesex and South Middlesex
Hospitals
Paediatric Unit, St. Mary's Hospital
Medical School, London, W.2.
West Middlesex Hospital, Isleworth
Subject of Survey
Children suffering from Spina Bifida.
Childhood Cancers.
Urinary Tract Infections in Women.
National Surveillance of Congenital
Rubella Defects.
Combined Obstetric/Child Health
Project.
Infective Jaundice (reference to this survey
is made in the section of the report
on infectious diseases, page 13).
British Births — Child Study (follow-up
of national sample of British Births
Survey).
Cot Deaths — deaths of children under
age 12 months May 1968 — Sept. 1972.
Guthrie Tests — Phenylketonuria
All infants continued to be tested for hyperphenylalaninaemia (phenylketonuria),
a rare but important metabolic condition, by taking a blood sample on or soon after the
sixth day of life. I am grateful for the prompt and efficient laboratory service provided
at Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton.
I am happy to report that during the year no positive result was recorded.
18