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Recuperative Holidays.
Under statutory authority provision was made for recuperative holidays for school children
in need of rest, fresh air and good food.
The total number of recommendations was 165 (166). Of this number 140 (138) children
went on holiday; there were 25 (28) cancellations by parents.
School medical officers made 90% (85%) of these recommendations; the remainder came
from general practitioners and other sources.
Special Investigation Clinics.
During 1966, 183 new patients attended the four special investigation clinics and 1,168
total attendances have been made. 96 children have been discharged — 22 more than last year.
Nocturnal enuresis continues to be the condition for which the majority of the children
are referred.
Another special investigation clinic will be held in the new Grove Health Centre when
it is in use. This will assist in ensuring that there is no long waiting period before a child in the
North of the Borough is offered the first appointment.
Audiology.
The number of children for the audiology clinic has decreased since 1965, as, during the
first nine months of that year, there was no similar provision in the Royal Borough of Kensington
andChelsea and many children from there attended the Hammersmith Clinic. However, 111 children
attended in 1966, of whom 51 were found to have no significant loss of hearing.
The work of the Audiology Unit has been hampered throughout the year by the continued
lack of a peripatetic teacher of the deaf. It should be possible however, to make an appointment
early in 1967, and the position should be much improved in future.
The Consultant Otologist continued to visit the Day Special School for the deaf and the
2 units for the partially-hearing, so that each child was seen by a specialist at least once in the
year. Many of the children at these schools live in other Boroughs, and some live in Greater
London, so there is considerable liaison with other authorities.
Hospital Appointments.
During 1966, 293 children were referred from school medical examinations for specialist
opinion at hospital. The general practitioners were consulted on all these and, with their approval,
264 were referred through the School Health Service to the appropriate hospital departments, and
reports were subsequently sent to the School Medical Officer. The general practitioners preferred
to make their own arrangements for the remaining 29 children.
(63)