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Deaf children of all ages are registered with the senior social worker (health services) who in liaison with
the principal medical officer reviews their cases constantly.
A senior medical officer who visits residential establishments regularly follows up children in care who
suffer from a mental or physical handicap. Hospital reports are requested for individual children when required
and close contact is kept with the Social Services Department on individual cases.
Details of handicapped children born in 1971 were fed into the computer, which sends out requests
for reports to Health Visitors every six months. This is the beginning of the computerisation of the handicap
register. Eventually detailed statistics of each type of handicap will be rapidly available from the computer
as required.
At the end of 1971 the number of children and young persons on the Central Handicap Register was
2,141 (2,103). Because of the ever-growing volume of work involved in the follow-up and assessment of
children with handicaps, a clinical psychologist was appointed to the staff in May 1971.
Special Advisory Clinics are held to assess pre school age children with known handicaps or who have
been referred because of mild retardation, slowness in speech, non-communication, disturbed behaviour, etc.
Referrals come from general practitioners, health visitors, day nursery matrons and clinic doctors, and the
children are seen at child health clinics, day nurseries or in their own homes. The Special Advisory clinics
are held in one of three centres serving the southern, central and northern parts of the Borough. Dr. Groves,
principal medical officer, sees each mother and child to obtain a full history and preliminary assessment of
the child. She is assisted by the clinical psychologist, Mrs. Pahad. Subsequent assessments are made
periodically by Dr. Groves, Mrs. Pahad, or Dr. Clarke, senior medical officer.
If a full hospital investigation is needed, it is arranged after consultation with the general practitioner.
Often the children are already under a paediatrician's care and what is needed is the mobilisation of local
resources to help the mother and child. Placing in playgroups, day nurseries or a voluntary grant-aided day
nursery for mentally handicapped children,or an assessment unit in a day physically handicapped school or
other specialised centres, may be considered. Speech therapy, child guidance etc. may be recommended.
Social support for the family may be sought. Each child's progress is watched and, if it is apparent that
special education will be necessary, efforts are made with the help of the divisional education officer to see
that the child enters the most appropriate school at a suitable age. Once at school, he will be followed up by
the school medical officer.
During 1971, the Special Advisory Clinic was concerned with a total of 158 children, 25 clinic sessions
were held; 109 home visits and 91 Day Nursery visits were made. At the end of the year 136 children remained
on the Special Advisory Clinic current list.
COMPUTERISATION OF CHILD HEALTH RECORDS
During the year notifications of birth were fed into the computer and by 31st December all children
born during the year, whether they were actually born in Islington or moved into the Borough during the
year, had computerised records. This basic record comprises the child's surname, date of birth, sex, place of
birth and birth weight; the parity, age and marital status of the mother; and the name of the family doctor.
The birth is recorded as either live or still born, legitimate or illegitimate, single or multiple. The place of
birth is coded as either hospital or home and as to whether or not it is a transferable birth. Any congenital
abnormalities observed at birth are also recorded.
To this record significant information is added as it becomes known; for example factors which may
mean that a child is handicapped or potentially so, his medical condition, admissions to hospital, vaccination
and immunisation - as prophylaxis is completed. The record is instantly available for perusal by those
authorised and cannot be lost or mislaid. It provides a memory aid to the health visitor and draws attention
to the prophylaxis when it is overdue.
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