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If parental consent was obtained, the children's school was approached and information collected
from the children's teachers.
STUDENT HEALTH SERVICE
In June 1968 approaches were made to the Principal of the North London College of Further
Education, who kindly agreed that a male doctor and a female doctor should attend approximately
alternate weeks during term time, to undertake a student health service. When students were
accepted for a course at the college they were asked to complete a questionnaire about the
state of their health and the extent to which they had been protected against infectious
diseases. A letter was also sent telling the students that a doctor attended the college
regularly and would be pleased to discuss any problems of a medical nature, pointing out that
this service was not intended to take the place of the General Practitioner service, and that
no National Health Service prescriptions could be issued. The students were also advised to
register with a local doctor if they had not already done so.
Early in each term the doctor studied the questionnaires and the school medical records
(if available) for new admissions, and made a note of any student whose medical history made
it particularly desirable to keep an eye on him. Where no report of a recent medical examination
was available, or where any report indicated the need, a routine medical examination was
arranged, sufficient time being allowed for a short conversation of a general nature. The
Medical Officer also arranged for new admissions to receive, as appropriate in the light of
their records, a mass X-ray, a Tuberculin test with B.C.G. inoculation if necessary, and
immunisation against poliomyelitis. The medical officer saw students other than new admissions
whom he wished to keep under surveillance and was available also to see students, their
relatives or members of the staff, attending at their own request, and students referred by
any member of the staff. He also sent letters to General Practitioners, hospital consultants
or other persons about the needs of individual students.
The scheme started in October 1968 and by the end of the term 28 students had been seen,
16 had been medically examined, 13 given advice and 6 referred to their General Practitioners.
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