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53
CO-ORDINATION.
In spite of the transfer of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Services from the local Council to the Kent County
Council, a satisfactory degree of co-ordination of effort
between the School Health Service and the Infant Welfare
Services has been maintained as a result of the co-operative
attitude of all members of the Staff concerned.
Periodic Medical Inspections. See Table 1.
The successful carrying out of routine medical inspections
was made possible by the excellent co-operation of
Head Teachers and their staffs and it is true to say that this
is now regarded as an integral part of the school curriculum.
It is at these inspections that the greatest number of defects
are discovered and where a great deal of information is
obtained in regard to the school children by discussions with
the parents.
Generally speaking, it was found that entrants, 8-yearolds
and 11-year-olds showed a uniformly high standard of
personal hygiene. Clothing was good and clean and the
incidence of skin diseases very low. In only a few cases was
it necessary to record a defect in clothing or of footwear.
The attendance of parents at routine medical inspection
was good, being practically 100 per cent, in the case of
entrants, but as might be expected there was a falling off
in the case of senior children.
Reference to the Statistical Table on Page 65 emphasizes
the number of defects discovered. Bearing in mind that
these defects are nearly always diagnosed in the early stages
and observation or treatment instituted at once, periodic
inspections will be seen to represent the truly preventive
aspect of School Health Work.