London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Ilford 1949

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ilford]

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65
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
(a) Nutrition.
The summary of heights and weights over 10 years which is printed at the
end of this Report in Table VIIA. and B. shows no appreciable change.
(b) Incidence of Pediculosis and Scabies.
(i) Pediculosis.—This shows a decrease on last year, 33 children being
found to be infected with living hair vermin as against 56 in 1948, 49 in 1947,
46 in 1946 and 65 in 1945.
(ii) Scabies.—This shows a decrease, 5 cases as compared with 19 in 1948,
43 in 1947, 76 in 1946, 104 in 1945.
School Premises.—There are 32 schools, with 61 departments, 21,123
children were actually on the rolls on 21st December, 1949, as compared with
20,267 in December 1948.
The figure 21,123 includes Barking Abbey (388) and Ursuline County
Placed pupils (241).
The number of children in average attendance at school for the year
ended 20th December 1949 = 18,328.
The Sanitary Inspectors have paid the usual monthly visits to the
elementary schools (1) to enquire as to the milk supplies, (2) to inspect the
sanitary arrangements. 451 visits have been made during the year.
Medical Inspection.—In accordance with the Handicapped Pupils and
Medical Services Regulations, 1945 (para. 49), this is carried out as follows :—
(a) Every pupil who is admitted for the first time to a maintained
school shall be inspected as soon as possible after the date of his
admission.
(b) Every pupil attending a maintained primary school shall be
inspected during the last year of his attendance at such a school.
(c) Every pupil attending a maintained secondary school shall be
inspected during the last year of his attendance at such a school.
During 1949 5,056 parents, or 77 per cent., attended the full routine
medical inspections.

Infectious Disease.—The following table shows the incidence of infectious diseases in the Ilford schools since 1945 :—

Scarlet Fever.Diphtheria.Measles and German MeaslesChicken Pox.Mumps.Whooping Cough.
1945133391,07018385222
19461561357625931295
194712071,05612227332
19481797*1,33011687376
194926264175224210

*Of this number 639 were notified as measles.
Disinfection of all the cloakrooms at the maintained primary and
secondary schools was carried out during the Summer and Winter vacations.
No schools were closed during the year on account of infectious disease.
Table VI shows the incidence of infectious disease in the Ilford schools
during 1949.
310 home visits were paid by the School Nurses to cases of minor
infectious disease. In addition the Sanitary Inspectors paid 639 visits to
measles cases, and 210 visits to whooping-cough cases.
E