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Personal Health Services
ANTE AND POST-NATAL CLINICS
Existing arrangements were continued during the year at 15 clinics. A total of 738 sessions
were held attended by a total of 970 patients. The majority of sessions were conducted by the
midwives but there was a significant decrease in the number of such sessions compared with
the previous year. Four midwives now undertake ante-natal clinics in the surgeries of family
doctors, and it is hoped that this trend will be accelerated in future years. As ante-natal care is
transferred to the community health team led by the family doctor, the need for the local health
authority to run separate clinics should gradually disappear.
Number of women in attendance
Number of sessions held by
Total number
of Sessions
For ante-natal
examination
For post-natal
examination
Medical Officers
Midwives
952
18
31
707
738
The numbers attending the Relaxation and Mothercraft classes were 1,017, representing a
further increase of 3.4% compared with 1970. Classes were held at 14 clinics, and the total number
of attendances during the year was 5,855. The proportion of mothers attending these classes who
were booked for hospital delivery (89%) was similar to the proportion of all babies born in hospital
in the area (75%) and indicated that this valuable introduction to the skills of parentcraft was
welcomed by mothers as an addition to the assistance which they received from hospitals and
family doctors. Arrangements were made to provide training for health visitors in the techniques
of psycho-prophylaxis and mothercraft teaching during September, and a member of the Society
of Obstetric Physiotherapists supervised the instruction given. The course was intensely practical
and although numbers were limited it was possible to include some of the domiciliary midwives
and one midwifery sister from Hillingdon Hospital in the class. Training in these techniques of
so-called "natural" child birth is most important, particularly for younger health visitors who may
not previously have had experience in this aspect of maternal care. The techniques undoubtedly
give confidence to the young expectant mother, and enable her to look forward to the experience
of child birth with anticipation rather than with fear.
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 102.
All held the certificate of the Central Midwives Board. One of the principal nursing officers is also
non-medical supervisor of midwives and undertakes the necessary visiting and investigation
appropriate to the Council's statutory responsibilities in this area.
CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS
The Registrar General requires information concerning children who are discovered at the
time of their birth to have an obvious congenital malformation. Regular returns are forwarded to
the Registrar General based upon information received from local midwives at the time that the
birth is notified to this department in accordance with the Notification of Births Act 1907. A total
of 77 with congenital conditions were notified in 1971.
CONGENITAL ERRORS OF METABOLISM
There are a number of rare diseases caused by metabolic defects which can now be identified
shortly after birth. Principal amongst these is phenylketonuria which, if untreated, leads to irreversible
brain damage, and mental subnormality. A blood test (Guthrie test) has been developed
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