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schools which continues to be directed by Dr. Brincker, who is assisted by a principal
assistant medical officer (Dr. J. G. Forbes), the work of the school medical service
falls entirely in the branch directed by Dr. Daley and is organised in two main
sections. One of these sections (senior medical officer, Dr. C. J. Thomas) embraces
the medical inspection of school children, the medical and dental treatment and
cleansing of school children, open-air schools and general school hygiene. For
purposes of routine medical inspection, etc., London is divided into five divisions
north-west (divisional medical officer, Dr. A. W. Sikes); north-east (divisional
medical officer, Dr. F. C. Lewis); east (divisional medical officer, Dr. G. Chaikin),
south-east (divisional medical officer, Dr. H. K. Kidner); south-west (divisional
medical officer, Dr. E. E. Argles). In order to bring these divisions into line with
those contemplated under the scheme for general hospital administration their
boundaries will be modified from 1st April, 1930, and the divisions will be renamed.
The remaining staff in this branch of the school medical work includes one
principal assistant medical officer for aural work (Dr. A. G. Wells); four part-time
assistant aurists; one part-time consulting dental surgeon (Dr. A. Livingston);
one part-time principal assistant medical officer (Dr. B. Tchaykovsky); one divisional
medical officer for ophthalmic work, nursery schools, etc. (Dr. E. M. McVail);
22 whole-time assistant medical officers; 11 assistant medical officers giving six
sessions a week; 44 assistant medical officers giving three sessions a week; additional
temporary medical assistance for 129 sessions a week; 10 medical officers (part-time)
at open-air schools, etc.; 264 surgeons and anaesthetists at treatment centres; and
92 dentists at treatment centres, of whom 64 are employed as inspecting dentists
in the schools.
Miss H. L. Pearse, who had been superintendent of the school nursing service
since March, 1907, left the service on October 11th, 1929, having reached the age
limit for retirement. The superintendence of the school nursing staff thereupon
devolved upon Miss D. E. Bannon who was appointed the Council's matron-in-chief
as from 1st October, 1929. Her duties will also include the supervision and organisation
of the nursing staff at the hospitals and infirmaries which will be transferred
under the Local Government Act, 1929. The school nursing service comprises six
assistant superintendents, 93 school nursing sisters and 260 nurses.
The other section concerned with the school medical service (Dr. Shrubsall,
senior medical officer) includes the medical examination at the County Hall of
scholarship candidates, school teachers, etc., and the medical work in special schools
and reformatories. Dr. Shrubsall also deals with the work under the Mental Deficiency
Acts and the Blind Persons Act. In this section are included the services of
a part-time consulting surgeon for aural disease (Dr. P. M. Yearsley); a part-time
consulting surgeon for orthopaedics (Mr. K. J. Acton-Davis); a part-time ophthalmic
consultant (Mr. N. Bishop Harman); two divisional medical officers (Drs. J. L.
Fairfield and A. C. Williams); and an assistant medical officer who is attached for
half his time to Ponton-road place of detention.
Recent
development
in school
planning.
School Buildings.
In his report for the year 1928, the Chief Medical Officer of the Board of Education
states, "Every school should be in practice an open-air school. At the present
time 80 per cent. of the plans (of all schools) submitted to the Board for approval
include proposals for throwing open to the outside air whole portions of the classroom."
Recently the medical department of the Council was afforded a special
opportunity for comparing the working conditions in some of the lately erected
schools of the Council. The architect to the Council has prepared for reproduction
in this report ground plans of four of the schools visited. These plans illustrate
very strikingly the rapid evolution of school planning in the direction of open-air
conditions.