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7
The situation regarding midwifery in the Borough is much the same
as before. There are now sufficient beds available for anyone who wants
a hospital confinement so those who wish for a domicilary confinement
do so at their own choice.
The Women's National Cancer Control Campaign mobile caravan again
visited the Borough and the Health Committee have agreed that in future
this would be an annual event. The number of attendances was higher
than the previous year although lower than in 1969, but when regard is
given to the length of stay, the average weekly attendances was the
nighest it has ever been. Although the number of possible pre-cancerous
states found was not dramatic, five possible cases were discovered and,
in addition, about a dozen other gynaecological conditions were diagnosed.
Immunisation continued during the year and Hackney's immunisation
figures compare very favourably with the rest of London. Towards the
end of the year, following receipt of advice from the Department of
Health and Social Security, smallpox vaccination, as a routine measure,
was discontinued.
The year saw the completion and opening of the first Health Centre
built in the Borough since the London County Council completed the
John Scott Health Centre (then known as the Woodberry Down Health
Centre) in 1952. The Somerford Grove Health Centre began to be occupied
in July/August, with the general practitioners moving in in September.
There was no official opening, but there was an 'Open Day' in November,
when representatives of various organisations visited the Centre as
well as members of the general public. Almost everyone expressed their
appreciation and pleasure of this somewhat small but attractive new
Health Centre. Plans of the Health Centre are shown in the body of the
Report. At the end of the year the new Health Centre at Barton House
was in the course of construction, as was the Health Centre at Clapton
Park. Three other Health Centres are in the process of being planned.
The Report embodies a section on the work of the School Health
Service and the School Dental Service. On the 1st April, what had been
the Ickburgh Road Training Centre and the Special Care Unit at Millfields
were transferred to the Inner London Education Authority and
became Ickburgh School and Marsh House School respectively. Other than
this the School Health and School Dental Services continued as usual.
There was no major epidemic during the year, and on the whole infectious
disease continues to decline. Pull details of infectious
disease are contained in the body of the Report.
Environmental problems continued as in previous years with housing
again one of the pre-eminent problems of the Borough.
Undoubtedly the major change during the year was the transfer of
certain functions of the Health Department to the Social Services
Department, and to a lesser degree the transfer of the training centres
to the Inner London Education Authority. However, emphasis must be
made of the fact that there has been no reduction of this Department's