London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Croydon 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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the new balance between the two services may to this extent turn
to the advantage of Local Authority staffs, by allowing them to
concentrate more effectively on those for whom the system was
primarily designed.
The following Table demonstrates the variations in the acceptance rate during recent years:-
RESULTS OF SCHOOL INSPECTIONS
| 1954 | 1953 | 1952 | 1949 | 1937 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. referred for Treatment | 12961 | 14998 | 10723 | 9 40 4 | 13498 |
| Consents | 6946: 53.6? | 8854: 59% | 6867:64% | 6996:74. i°/ | 7762: 57. 5% |
| (Total Consents including Specials)* | ( 10197:62.8%) | (12496:66.1%) | ( 9727:7 1.6%) | ( 10098:80.7%) | (10146:6 3%) |
| Refusals | 4 592: | 4496: | 2639: | 1213: | 3242: |
| 3 5.5% | 30% | 24.6% | 12.9% | 24% | |
| Forms not | 1423: | 1648: | 1217: | 1195: | 2494: |
| returned | 10.9% | 11% | 11.4% | 12.7% | 18.5% |
*SPECIALS - Those referred by Head Teachers with Emergency Forms.
Arrangements for Treatment.
Of 16.212 Children referred for treatment (including specials)
11.194 (69 per cent.) were treated and 7, 824 (42 per cent.) cured
completely, compared with 18,640 referred, 11,482 (61.6 per cent.)
treated and 8, 794 (47. 1 per cent. ) cured in 1953.
As a result of retirements and fluctuations in staff the
total of treatment sessions declined from 2,487 to 2,349. Time
devoted to this work by part-time Dentists was also appreciably
reduced, and sessions fell from 705 to 404.
The fact that fewer sessions were available has led to some
reduction of output; otherwise a reasonable range of treatment
was maintained. With minor exceptions delay in carrying out required
treatment has not been excessive and call-up has been
possible within a couple of months of schools being visited.
From the clinical aspect the standard to be adopted in deciding
a line of treatment still appears to present problems for
those new to the Service. The simple axiom of attempting the
greatest good for the greatest number is in reality difficult to
apply without achieving an end result resembling a "lowest
common denominator". As a practical compromise existing policy
is to provide the highest possible level of attention for those
who attend regularly and are likely to benefit from the work.