View report page

45
year additional sessions were commenced at the Manford Way and Wanstead
Place Health Service Clinics.
The demand for a fortnightly clinic at Wanstead Place has not
materialised but there have been sufficient requests for appointments to
hold monthly clinics both there and at Manford Way Clinic.
During the year the number of Local Health Authority sessions held
and smears taken were as follows:-
Sessions held - 108. Smears taken — 1,933.
Six positive smears were reported by the consultant pathologists.
This represents a "pick-up" rate of 3 per 1,000 and corresponds closely
with the national figure.
Geriatric
Clinics
These clinics, now held in two different areas of the Borough,
originated two years ago with sessions at one of our purpose-built
clinics, the intention being to offer a full medical examination to both
men and women, as they attain the age of 65. The examinations are
carried out by general practitioners whose practices are involved in the
programme, though in many instances doctors who are willing for their
patients to participate are unable, through pressure of work, to undertake
the examinations. The names of persons, as they become 65, are supplied
by the Local Executive Council, and the invitation letter to the patient
is signed by the patient's own doctor. It was felt that this personal
touch would make the examination more acceptable - also that the patient
would know that his own doctor supported the proposal. It is a matter of
policy that doctors do not examine their own patients, as it was felt
familiarity might sometimes condition diagnosis and objectivity be
diminished.
The patient completes a 57-point questionnaire which is sent to him
at home, and brings it with him to the clinic so the examining doctor may
read it at the commencement of the interview. Four appointments are made
in every two-hour session. The form of medical report is comprehensive
and angled towards identification of degenerative conditions. At the
beginning of this programme no haematology was undertaken, but a year
ago, when these facilities became available, clinics were started in a
second area and a small battery of blood tests are now run. These tests
include haemoglobin estimation, white cell count, and film, sugar, urea
and serum acid phosphatase, when appropriate. Labstix paper reagent