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Welfare Foods
The welfare foods provided through the local health authorities include National Dried Milk,
multi-vitamin drops and tablets. Unfortunately the latter, which had been introduced following the
withdrawal of orange juice and cod liver oil were not well accepted. It is the practice in this area to
permit the sale of certain specified proprietary foods at a cost slightly less than that available in local
shops. The primary objectives of a child health centre are to promote health, to advise on the developmental
progress of children and to provide health education. The sale of these welfare foods is
unlikely to assist these objectives and there is a continuing need closely to review existing policies
in the light of local circumstances.
The distribution of welfare foods has been a particular field of health department activity
where voluntary efforts have been much in evidence. The department owes a great debt of gratitude
to these voluntary helpers, who not only provide a particular service to the community within the
child health centre but also introduce by their very personalities a particular friendliness which does
much to encourage the regular attendance of mothers on which so much depends.
FAMILY PLANNING
Family planning advice has been available in clinics throughout the Borough for many years.
Apart from those held at Hillingdon and Mount Vernon Hospitals they have been sited in local
authority premises where facilities were offered rent-free to the Family Planning Association.
Women who required the service on health grounds received this free of charge, the total cost being
borne by the Health Committee. However, since 1st April 1972, advice has been offered free to all
Borough residents, and only those not needing it on health grounds have had to pay for their supplies.
In 1971 the Council opened a directly-operated clinic as a pilot scheme. This proved so popular
that the session was doubled in April 1972 and two further clinics were started, one at Elers Road
in Hayes in July and one in Harefield in October. Total attendances were 1,403.
The clinic held at Mount Vernon Hospital by the International Planned Parenthood Federation
became too busy for a single team to operate, so in April, a doctor, nurse and clerk employed by the
Borough were introduced to share the load. The Federation was changing its policy and expressed
a wish to withdraw from this clinic. Discussions were held with the Hospital authorities and with
effect from 1 st October 1972 the Borough assumed responsibility for these two sessions as well.
The Family Planning Association also wished to expand their services, and in December they
opened clinics at Oak Farm and Grange Park.
Details of the number of women seen in the clinics are given below. Owing to a change in
the Family Planning Association's method of recording it is no longer possible to differentiate
between those receiving a free service on medical and on social grounds.
Information collected in the Council's well women's clinics shows that male sterilization is an
increasingly popular method of contraception with couples who have completed their families.
This is an operation which is available as part of the National Health Service when there are medical
reasons for it. Close co-operation and discussion between local authority doctor, general practitioner
and surgeon have resulted in this facility being given to a few families in the Borough during the
year.

Number seen in 1971 for consultation and supplies and domiciliary - 173.
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