Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Havering]
This page requires JavaScript
age group (Junior School leavers) which was first introduced
as a pilot scheme in 1967, was further extended to include 29 of
the 48 Junior Schools in the Borough. Under this procedure
children in the appropriate age group are selected for examination
only if need is indicated by previous health history, poor performance
at school, etc. or if the parent requests an examination.
Selection is made by the School Medical Officer with the
aid of previous medical records and information provided by the
parents, teachers, health visitors and school nurses. All children
in the age group are given screening tests of hearing and vision,
irrespective of the selection procedure. 563 of the 1,493 pupils
included in the selective scheme were given a full examination
and 318 of these were found to have conditions requiring treatment
or observation.
Defects found at periodic medical inspections included the following:-
Condition | Number of Defects found requiring:- | |
---|---|---|
(a) Treatment | (b) Observation | |
Defective Vision | 774 | 759 |
Squint | 75 | 98 |
Defective Hearing | 57 | 411 |
Nose 8s Throat conditions | 115 | 434 |
Speech Defects | 44 | 139 |
Lung conditions | 35 | 264 |
Developmental abnormalities | 98 | 281 |
Skin diseases | 216 | 370 |
Psychological conditions | 45 | 463 |
Orthopaedic defects | 161 | 731 |
In addition to the perodic medical inspections, 1,683 pupils
were specially examined by a School Medical Officer at the
request of the parent, teacher or school nurse, etc., and 1,533
follow-up examinations were carried out as a result of periodic
45