View report page

56
School Medical Officers
Out of the total of 56 schools in Westminster, one is attended by a local general practitioner, twenty by
sessional medical officers and thirty five by whole-time medical officers. Some difficulty is experienced in
recruiting medical officers for school work. Only one general practitioner is now helping in this way. Most
of them are too busy in their practices to undertake regular sessions. However there are now 7 sessional
medical officers doing school work. Two of these are men and between them they undertake the senior
boys' schools of the area.
Handicapped Children
Eight full time medical officers are approved to undertake the statutory examination of children thought
to be educationally subnormal. During the year 41 examinations were arranged as a result of which 25
children are recommended for ESN schools. This represents a reduction compared with previous years and
is due to the more flexible arrangements that can now be made for handicapped children to be admitted
to special schools informally or to receive educational help in ordinary schools.
A register is maintained for handicapped children of all ages. Of the 68 born in 1967, 7 were recommended
for ESN schools (1 severe), 1 for hospital care and 12 for other types of special schools. Five were
accommodated in residential establishments and 6 were attending day nurseries pending special placements.
The remaining 37 were all able to enter ordinary schools. A special follow-up is arranged for all handicapped
children in ordinary schools.
Visual Defects
Special ophthalmic sessions are held in the north and south of the City. At the Western Ophthalmic
Hospital a weekly session is held, staffed by four ophthalmologists from St. Mary's Hospital with clerical
assistance from the Health Department. At a treatment centre in Pimlico, where a session is also held once
a week, it has proved to be extremely difficult to find a permanent ophthalmologist. The present consultant
is employed by the South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board.
Immunisation
Parents are encouraged to have their children fully immunised before entering school but for a variety
of reasons a number of school entrants have not been protected. Arrangements therefore have sometimes
to be made to hold special sessions in the schools in order to get immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus,
poliomyelitis and measles completed. In secondary schools rubella vaccination is offered to girls in their
first or second year and BCG vaccination is offered to all children in their second or third year.
Diathermy
Diathermy clinics for the treatment of plantar warts are held twice a week and continue to be well
attended.
Special Investigation Clinics
Children who require a longer time and more privacy than is available at school medical examinations are
referred to Special Investigation Clinics. During 1972 there were 107 new referrals and 768 attendances
were made at 227 sessions. In addition there were 628 home visits and 43 interviews with clients at City
Hall. (See also section "Social Work (Personal Health)", page 53).
Colleges of Further Education
At the London College of Fashion a medical officer attended once a week, and weekly sessions are held
at City Hall for students from Pulteney College. For other Colleges for Further Education arrangements are
made for social workers to refer students about whom they are worried to a Principal Medical Officer at
City Hall for examination and investigation.