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School nurses carried out a total of 43,435 health surveys; 34,409 comprehensive,
5,609 selective and 3,417 in connection with communicable diseases.
Early in their school life all children are tested for hearing loss by a
visiting school nurse using the sweep test method. Those who fail this test or
about whom there is some doubt are given further more accurate pure tone tests at
a school treatment centre. Where results are still not satisfactory pupils are
referred to an otologist for further investigation. 10,362 children were given a
sweep test of whom 489 required a pure tone test, of these 54 were referred to an
otologist.
MEDICAL TREATMENT OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
Certain specialist clinics at which only school-children are seen are run
in conjunction with Regional Hospital Boards and the Boards of Governors of
Teaching Hospitals. Some clinics are provided in hospitals while others are held
in school treatment centres when the hospital authorities provide the specialist
staff and the local authority the premises and nursing staff.
Sessions provided in Teaching Hospitals include two vision sessions at
King's College Hospital, an audiology session at the Belgrave Hospital, and an
investigation session for heart diseases, enuresis, dietetics, and minor behaviour
difficulties at St. Thomas' Hospital. All these sessions are attended by health
service social workers who arrange appointments and act as liaison officers
between the hospitals, school medical officers, and the I.L.E.A. school care
committees and attendance officers. Health service social workers also attend
special investigation clinics held in school treatment centres (see below). There
are three vision clinics in Lambeth provided in local authority premises at which
3,637 attendances were made. Errors of refraction and squints numbered 1,680
while 44 other eye defects were found. Spectacles were ordered for 951 pupils.
At one of the centres an orthoptic clinic is held at which 36 cases attended.
Treatment facilities in Lambeth include special investigation clinics at
which children suffering from obesity, enuresis and similar complaints are seen.
A total of 157 special investigation sessions were held at which 1,096 attendances
were made. At minor ailment clinics day to day treatment is given for minor skin,
eye, ear and foot conditions. Normally, a nurse is in attendance at minor ailment
sessions but occasional doctors' sessions are held. There were 48 sessions
attended by a doctor and 583 by a nurse. Attendances totalled 10,504.
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
An additional dental clinic to serve the north of the borough at the Barley
Mow Centre, Frazier Street, S.E.1, opened towards the end of the period.