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GENERAL.
Co-operation between the various health services in an area
is essential if a real measure of success is to be attained. During
the year under review special efforts were made to improve
existing working arrangements and to link up as closely as
possible the Maternity and Child Welfare Service with the School
Medical Service. Thus nearly 400 school children made
some 3,550 attendances at the three " Welfare Centres " and
received treatment for minor ailments either from the health
visitors or from, the school nurses. Considerable numbers of
children under five years of age attended the school clinic
for the treatment of defective teeth, squint and discharging ears,
and it is probable that in the near future the school dental clinic
will be made available, after school hours, for the dental treatment
of mothers and of children of pre-school age. A satisfactory
system exists for the transfer of information from the
Maternity and Child Welfare Service to the School Medical
Service in the Public Elementary Schools and again from the
latter to the Secondary School Medical Service. Arrangements
for the medical inspection of secondary school pupils is, of
course, under the control of the Middlesex County Council, but,
by a process of delegation to the Local Higher Education Committee,
the County Council have helped materially to co-ordinate
local health services.
Certain very necessary alterations have been carried out at
St. Mary's Schools—a new sanitary block has been provided for
the infants' department; the boys' school has been re-modelled
and a new classroom added. The new school on the Coldfall
site, to accommodate 840 scholars, has been commenced, and
should be completed before the end of this year. It is hoped
that a day open-air school will also be erected on this site.
Arrangements similar to those in force during the past five
years still exist, both for the conveyance to and from school of
certain children and for the provision of suitable accommodation
at various schools where children have to remain on the school
premises during the mid-day interval.
MEDICAL INSPECTION AND TREATMENT.
Thirty per cent. of the children on the rolls of the various
schools were inspected on a routine basis during 1927, while
2,249 special inspections were also made. The latter figure