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The Physician is superfluous amongst the Healthy.—Tacitus.
Personal Health Services
Dr. V. M. D. N. Shaw—Principal Medical Officer (Personal Health)
ANTE AND POST-NATAL CLINICS
Existing arrangements were continued during the year at 15 clinics. A total of 836 sessions
were held attended by a total of 1,258 patients. The table shows that the majority of sessions are
conducted by the midwives.
There are currently no midwives undertaking ante-natal clinics in
the surgeries of family doctors, but arrangements were completed during the year to allow midwives
undertaking such clinics in other areas to visit Hillingdon residents who are attended by a family
doctor practising outside the Borough.

The numbers attending the Relaxation and Mothercraft classes were 983, representing an
increase of 3 8% compared with 1969. Classes were held at 14 clinics, and the total number of
attendances during the year was 5,941. The proportion of mothers attending these classes who
are booked for Hospital delivery (81%) is similar to the proportion of all babies born in Hospital
in the area (76%), and indicates that this valuable introduction to the skills of parentcraft is
welcomed by mothers as an addition to the assistance which they receive from Hospitals and
family doctors.
CARE OF THE UNSUPPORTED MOTHER
The Council has previously provided a direct service for the care of the unsupported mother
by the employment of a social worker whose services were shared with the Boroughs of Ealing
and Hounslow. Joint user arrangements are rarely satisfactory and when it became possible to
withdraw from this arrangement early in 1970 the service was transferred to the Hillingdon Deanery
Welcare Association which now acts as agent for the Corporation. The new arrangements have
proved most successful, and it is hoped that it will be possible to improve the liaison still further
in future years. Miss Brierley, the deanery social worker, retired at the end of the year, and it is
pleasing to place on record the appreciation of this Department for all the work which she has
undertaken in this area.
During 1970 four mothers were admitted to Local Authority homes, 23 were admitted to
Voluntary homes, and 68 were interviewed and advised, but did not require admission to a home.
In view of the changes which have been described comparative figures for previous years are
not appropriate. The impression is, nevertheless, conveyed and fully endorsed by the professional
staff involved that an increasingly large proportion of unmarried girls who become pregnant
receive support from within their own families. The demand for accommodation in Mother and
Baby homes continues to decline, but the provision of longer term accommodation for mothers
who wish to keep their children and lead independent lives outside the family circle occasionally
brings problems which are not always easy to resolve.
MIDWIVES ACT 1902-1951
The number of midwives who notified their intention to practice as midwives within the
Borough (including those in Hospitals) and who were practising at the end of the year was 84.
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