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50
by their own efforts and from financial assistance from the Redbridge
Council for which the members express their grateful thanks.
Details of assistance given during the year:—
53 patients given a total of 451 grants for extra nourishment
5 grants were made for relatives to visits patients in hospital
1 Television rental and licence paid
54 Patients received cash gifts at Christmas time
1 Child patient and her mother were sent on o convalescent holiday
The excellent accommodation provided at King George Hospital for
the monthly meetings is again much appreciated.
Cervical
Cytology and
Cancer
Education
This service continued to operate smoothly throughout 1969.
Clinics are held weekly at the Health and Welfare Department in
Clements Road, and on a 'demand' basis at Manford Way Health Services
Clinic and V/anstead Place Clinic. Smears are examined at either King
George Hospital for 11 ford cases, or Wanstead Hospital for those from
V/anstead Place Clinic.
Demand for appointments at the Local Health Authority Clinics in
11 ford has dropped from 1,706 in 1968 to 926 in 1969, though there has
been, to offset this, a dramatic increase in the work done by hospitals
and Family Planning Association Clinics in this field.
It would be a great pity if the cause of cervical cytology was to be
lost through apathy either on the part of the consumers or promoters of
the service. It is also unfortunate that women using these clinics are
those who are least 'at risk'. The women who are most liable to develop
carcinoma of the neck of the womb are those married early and with a
large family. It will be our responsibility in the future to take the service
to them.
Geriatric
Clinics
With the valuable co-operation of the few general practitioners
willing to attend these two clinics, this service has continued during
1969.
It became evident, however, following a survey of a cross section
of the examinations undertaken, that the vast majority of those patients
attending were remarkably fit and that those with a condition were
attending their own doctor.