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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 again 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 403 school children made some 4,227 attendances
at the four "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 the school dental clinic has been 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.
The new school on the Coldfall site to accommodate 840
scholars was formally opened on the 12th December, 1928, by the
Duchess of Atholl, although children had actually attended the
school since 10th September, 1928.
Premises are available at this school for the medical inspection
of school children and the treatment of minor ailments, and for
use as a Maternity and Child Welfare Centre.
MEDICAL INSPECTION AND TREATMENT.
Thirty-five per cent. of the children on the rolls of the various
schools were inspected on a routine basis during 1928, while 1,938
special inspections were also made. These special inspections
were conducted both by the medical practitioner, who has
attended the school clinic on one afternoon a week, and by the
School Medical Officer, who holds a weekly morning session. Of
all children submitted to routine inspection 9.7 per cent. were