London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hillingdon 1971

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hillingdon]

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HANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN DAY NURSERIES
Fifteen handicapped children were placed in the day nurseries during 1971; the categories
are shown in the accompanying table. Costs in respect of the 4 mentally handicapped children
were charged to the Social Services Committee and the remainder were the responsibility of the
Education Committee. It is important to ensure that the ratio of handicapped to normal children
in the day nurseries remains low. In the case of most of the handicapped children there are additional
factors in the home backgrounds which make day nursery attendance of great therapeutic value.
For those with communication difficulties it is important that the children should be surrounded
by speech to stimulate the desire to communicate before training in a special school is commenced.

For those with communication difficulties it is important that the children should be surrounded by speech to stimulate the desire to communicate before training in a special school is commenced.

Category (handicap)Number
Deaf or partially hearing4
Delicate5
Mentally handicapped4
Speech defect1
Epileptic1

The Principal Medical Officer visits the nurseries from time to time to assess handicapped
children and to discuss their problems and progress with the staff; she is available for consultation
by the matrons at any time. In addition medical officers from the health department visit each day
nursery quarterly to examine all the children. 23 such visits were made during 1971.
FAMILY PLANNING
The subject of family planning remains a popular topic of public discussion and local health
authorities are exhorted to introduce schemes for the communities which they serve. The services
which are provided by two voluntary associations within the Borough were continued during the
year. Those provided by the Family Planning Association are largely based in local authority
premises and so receive indirect financial support. The Association also operates a clinic at
Hillingdon Hospital. The International Planned Parenthood Federation provides a comprehensive
service at Mount Vernon Hospital. If further pregnancy is contra-indicated because of factors
affecting the health of the family financial responsibility for the provision of family planning is
assumed by the Health Committee. During the year the Council extended the categories of patients
for whom it accepted full financial responsibility to include women who have four or more children,
and to those receiving state benefits.
The further development of the service was encouraged early in the year by the appointment
of Dr. Joan Marshall as consultant adviser in family planning matters. In June the Council opened
its first directly operated clinic at Laurel Lodge and the additional facilities provided were welcomed.
A total of 109 women attended the new clinic in 1971 and with a progressive increase in the
number of women attending, the individual service which the clinic provides clearly satisfied
a real need in the area.
A proportion of those most in need of family planning advice seem unable to keep ordinary
clinic appointments. A domiciliary service is available, but it is usually possible to make special
arrangements by the use of transport and temporary supervision of other children in the family,
for attendance at the clinic itself where the doctor has available any special facilities which may
be necessary.
During 1971 a total of 173 women received free advice, 93 being new cases and 80 renewals.
The number referred since 1965 are shown in the table on page 37.
During 1971, 730 abortions were conducted at hospitals in Hillingdon. The aim of a public
health service should be to prevent such unwanted pregnancies and so avoid the need for treatment
which can be so traumatic to the personality and which is itself not without risk.
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