§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to increase the attendance of women at antenatal clinics if he has studied the French 927W incentive scheme which resulted in 96 per cent. attendance before the fifteenth week of pregnancy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MoyleWe are aware that some countries, including France, have schemes for benefits linked to attendance at ante-or post-natal clinics. However, there seems to be no firm evidence that the loss of benefit for non-attendance weighs more heavily with women than the advantages of proper medical care. In this country we have seen greater advantage in attempting to improve the attendance rate at clinics by identifying practices which encourage high take-up of services and by improving ways in which services might be taken to non-attenders. Last autumn we published "Reducing the Risk: Safer Pregnancy and Childbirth" which included advice on the advantages of early ante-natal care. Earlier this year we held a conference jointly with the Child Poverty Action Group on "Reaching the Consumer in the Ante-natal and Child Health Services", a principal objective of which was to identify problems of getting women in vulnerable groups to attend ante-natal clinics and to consider possible solutions. A number of useful ideas emerged and the report of the conference has been widely circulated.
The whole problem of perinatal and infant mortality and morbidity, and the contribution which ante-natal and other services can make towards solving this, is one of great concern to me and I am considering what further action it may be possible for me to take.