London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hornsey 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hornsey, Borough of]
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papeared necessary. School visits of this kind are an important part of
the measures taken by the school nurse for the maintenance of the cleanliness
and health of the school child. The discovering of minor defects
and verminous conditions before these develop into matters of serious
concern are the primary duties of the school nurse and are intended to
fill in the gaps between routine medical inspections which occur on at
least three occasions in the life of each school child. Close contact between
the head teachers, class teachers and the school nurse is maintained at
all times. It may be the occasion when the nurse makes recommendations
to the head teacher that the child should see his family doctor, attend a
clinic or temporarily be excluded from school.
The problem of reducing the number of vermin infested children in
schools has been the grave concern of school nurses for many years and
has taxed their resolution, patience, ingenuity and tact. It is not uncommon
today for parents to seek the help and advice of the school nurse before
the condition has had a chance to affect others and to submit each member
of the family for scrutiny in order to clear up the matter. This new
commonsense attitude of parents appears to be replacing the old anragonisms
and feelings of parental guilt associated with infestation.
Family doctors and industrial firms have also been amongst those who have sought the assistance and advice of the school nurse. Modern insecticides, smaller families, health teaching and improved standards of hygiene in schools and home may be some of the factors which together have reduced the infestation figures, as shown in the following table:—
| HORNSEY | 1947 | 1958 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of examinations | 21,595 | 19,571 |
| Number of pupils found to be infested | 105 | 23 |
The decline in the school nurse's work connected with verminous
conditions and minor ailments has, to some extent, been replaced by work
linked with B.C.G. and poliomyelitis vaccination campaigns. In general
the trend of the school nursing service is more preventive in character
than it has ever been. There is more opportunity for the school child
to meet the school nurse as a friend with whom all sorts of things can be
discussed unhurriedly. This is a healthier position from which the school
child can view the machinery of the health services and may have farreaching
results. In the School for the Physically Handicapped a fulltime
nurse is employed, and her duties regarded as an integral part of
the life of the school. She sees the children into and out of school transport,
deals with minor disorders, attends medical inspections, carries out
treatment prescribed by the school medical officer and by visiting consultants.
She also visits the homes of pupils where necessary; is present
at school meals and takes part in out-of-school activities by accompanying
school parties to various Saturday functions. It may be said that her continued
presence in the school relieves pupils and teachers from anxieties
which are common to special schools of this type.
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