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8
immediately seized on the forward-thinking legislation to give a full service
to the inhabitants of the Borough. The Health Committee decided to utilize
the services of the Family Planning Association, which was already working in
the Borough, and also to continue and increase its own direct service. The
Borough, therefore, now provides a complete and comprehensive family planning
service. Seven clinics are held each week by the Family Planning Association,
six in one or other of the Council's clinics and one at Hackney Hospital. In
addition, the Council runs seven sessions a week in its own clinics, the
sessions being open to all who need advice and treatment on medical or social
grounds, although, in the main, those needing treatment on social grounds attend
Family Planning Association sessions, the Council's clinics dealing with
the others. The clinics deal with all the modern methods of birth control,
including the Pill and the intra-uterine device, each patient receiving the
advice and treatment appropriate to them. The number of sessions run directly
by the Council has increased from 163 in 1966, to 211 in 1967, with a corresponding
increase in total attendance from 1,499 to 2,300. As well as the
ordinary clinic sessions, there is a domiciliary service available to women
who for one reason or another do not wish to visit the clinics, and, in addition,
a session specially for young people - these services being run on an
agency basis by the Family Planning Association.
Following a report issued in 1966 by the Institute of District Nursing
which showed that nationally this service was not being fully utilized, a
questionnaire was sent to doctors practising within Hackney in order to see if
there were need for alterations in the local service. An analysis of the
findings did indeed seem to indicate that the best use was not being made of
the local service, and it is intended, during 1968, to have discussions between
the Department and family doctors to see what, if any, improvements and
alterations should be made.
Provision for cervical cytology was carried on and expanded during
the year. A further day-time session was opened at the John Scott Health
Centre at the beginning of the year, and a further evening session at Goulton
Road later in the year. With the increased facilities available it was possible
to publicize this service and make the public more aware of this important
preventive measure. Nearly 900 women took advantage of the service during
the year.
During 1967 some advance was made in the provision of a new health centre
in Somerford Grove. Further planning and discussion took place during the
year, and it is hoped that during 1968 final permission may be obtained to go
forward with the building of the centre. In view of the re-awakened interest
in health centres, the provision of other possible centres was considered, but
these are only in the very initial stages.
The Council, during the year, continued to advance in the field of community
mental health. In May, the Shoreditch Day Centre was transferred to
larger and better premises for the care and rehabilitation of the adult
mentally ill; in June, a Special Care Unit for 12 children under the age of
five was opened in the Hackney Junior Training Centre. In order to provide
a better service for those using the training centres, the Council, during the
year, decided to provide its own coach service. A fleet of six small coaches
was purchased and these are now run directly by the Council; as a result it
has been possible to run a more efficient service and to arrange that no
trainee is involved, in long and tedious journeys.
Until 1967 there had been no organised form of dental care for the
mentally handicapped. As an innovation, during the year, dental inspections
were carried out at the Hackney and Homerton Training Centres, and at the