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Physio-Therapeutic Treatment.
The Harrow Hospital maintains at the clinic at 76, Marlborough
Hill a staff of physio-therapists for treating those suffering from such
conditions as will benefit from treatment, such as massage, electrical
treatment, ultra-violet and infra-red irradiation, class exercises, etc.
Children under five and those of school age may be referred for the
treatment of general or local conditions. Amongst the general are
debility, anaemia, muscle flabbiness, asthma, etc. In the other group
will be those suffering from localised lesions such as flat feet, knockknees,
hammer toes, etc. All are examined by the director of the clinic
who attends most days, and the course of treatment will be prescribed,
patients being examined at the end again. In some cases a series of
courses of exposure to rays or attendance for a series of exercises is
necessary. By the extended powers of the 1944 Education Act the
authority can provide a wide range of treatment, so may assume financial
responsibility for the charges of those who attend the clinics for treatment
to correct defects following accidents.
Those referred to the clinic, where suffering from grosser orthopaedic
abnormalities, are passed by the director to the consultant orthopaedic
surgeon who attends once a month. He might order treatment or
exercises which can be provided by the clinic staff. He may order special
appliances which are provided free of cost, most being made by the
Stanmore Cripples' College, or it may be a case necessitating operative
treatment. A short-stay case may be admitted to the Harrow Hospital,
but the child needing to be in hospital for a long time is admitted to the
Stanmore Orthopaedic Hospital, which is recognised by the Ministry of
Education as a special school. Certain of the children are recommended
for admission to the special schools for the physically handicapped.
Many parents take their children to one of the London hospitals.
In such circumstances the local education authority assumes responsibility
for the payment of the hospital charges and also meets the cost
of any appliances needed.