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75.
REPORT OF THE PRINCIPAL SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICER
ON THE SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Under the provisions of Section 30 of the London Government Act, 1963 the
Inner London Education Authority became the local education authority for the
inner London area, and as such was responsible for the provision of the School
Health Service. The joint use of staff and premises by the Inner London
Education Authority and the London Borough Councils is provided for by Section
32 of the Act and in order to achieve maximum co-ordination, as well as in the
interests of efficiency and economy, arrangements for the joint use of premises
and relevant staff were made. My report in the capacity of Principal School
Medical Officer on the School Health Service for the year submitted to the
Inner London Education Authority follows:-
The school health service was maintained at a consistently high level
throughout the year. By retaining the use of the old divisional health
office for the personal and school health services for a period of three
months after the change-over on April 1st, certain administrative
difficulties were minimised. A senior medical officer was appointed to
take charge of the day-to-day administration of the section. Local recruitment
of nursing, and other staff, continued at a satisfactory level.
There is an all round shortage of full time medical officer recruits to
the public health services, but despite this, the existing panel of
approved sessional doctors proved more than adequate to meet the need.
As will be seen from the statistical data, of a total of 34,044 pupils
in attendance at schools within the borough, some 42.6% were given a
routine inspection during the year - the highest percentage for the inner
London boroughs. In addition, nearly 10,000 non-routine inspections were
carried out. Of the routine inspections, 15.7% were referred for treatment
of defects; 8.6% being for defects other than vision. This is a
measure of the need in an area such as Tower Hamlets for the continued
inspection of school children.
A disturbing feature of the data for the borough was the high incidence
of children found to be verminous. With the continued improvement
of local environmental conditions it might have been hoped that a
continuing decline in these figures would result. The modern fashion of
both male and female children and youths to have long hair, and the
similar custom, of ten on religious grounds, practiced by immigrant children
is a part-explanation of the increase. Significantly, the upsurge in the
rate of infestation began a few years ago at the time when "Lorexane"
shampoo had proved its worth in treatment. Could it be that these curative
aids to maintain good hygiene standards are issued for use in inadequate
homes without the real assurance that basic preventive measures are also
adopted? If so, a reversion to the 'sanitary idea' will prove more
efficacious in this, as in many other modern fields of therapy. Additional
steps have now been taken to ensure the adequate cleansing of
infested children, if necessary by action at the borough cleansing
stations. The school treatment, and minor ailment, centres were reviewed
during the year. Their present-day role alongside the other available
provisions of the National Health Service remains equivocal.