| Abstract: | In 1978, 1,521,400 women in Great Britain obtained contraceptives through the National Health Service (NHS) family planning clinics, in 1980 the number was 1,468,000; likewise in 1978 2,118,313 women obtained them through general practitioners who offer a contraceptive service and in 1980 the number was also down, to 2,033,810. There has been little expansion in the provision of family planning clinics or the organization of extra sessions, contrasting with the expansion program of the Family Planning Association (FPA) when they largely had the responsibility of providing services, before 1974. Clinic sessions should be available for people of all ages but young people might respond better to separate, less formal arrangements. For children under age 16 the professional should persuade the child to involve the parents as soon as possible. Health visitors must be well trained in family planning to provide advice and support to patients. With the recent restructuring of Health Authorities, family planning services must not be cut in order to save money. The FPA must ask the government to reissue the May 1974 family planning service Memorandum of Guidance, and must write to those responsible for the supervision of family planning services in this regard. |
