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from the 1st July, 1961, elderly persons, the registered blind and partially
sighted were included in the scheme operated by the Divisional Medical
Officer.
The Chiropodist is paid a uniform fee of 9/- for each treatment undertaken
in the surgery and 15/- for a domiciliary visit. The patient is
required to contribute a standard fee of 3/- per treatment. In approved
cases the Divisional Medical Officer may authorise treatment free of charge.
A total of 627 treatments were given (326 at surgery and 301 at the
patients home).
The chiropody service introduced in 1958 through the active cooperation
of the W.V.S. and the British Red Cross Society, continued to
operate in 1963.
THE CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Ante-Natal and Post-Natal Supervision. This clinic, as in previous
years, continued to be held at the Nurses Home, 57 Montagu Gardens.
During the year, 128 women made 408 pre-natal attendances. This
represents an attendance of 24.0 per cent of the total number of confinements
which occurred during 1963. Post-natal examinations were also
conducted at this clinic, 9 patients making 9 attendances. As mentioned
in previous reports, however, considerably more women have post-natal
supervision than are recorded here. Those who have institutional
confinements usually return to hospital as a routine a few weeks after
their discharge, and have their post-natal examination conducted by
the hospital Medical Officers.
Institutional Confinements. Three hundred and fifty-seven or 76.6 per
cent. of births allocated to this district, took place in hospitals and
nursing homes, compared with 72.0 per cent recorded in the previous
year.
Patients going into hospital for a confinement are classified under
two headings, those whose admission is essential on medical grounds
and those who have unsatisfactory homes in which it would be inadvisable
to conduct a domiciliary confinement. Every case is properly
investigated, and it is only after a visit from the Health Visitor that
patients requiring admission on social grounds are put forward for
consideration by the hospital.
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