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Medical Service from their colleagues in the Education Officer's Department, and
from the various voluntary organisations concerned with the improvement of the
conditions of child life in London.
Staff.
From 1st October, 1929, a reorganisation of the public health department was
made upon the basis of three branches (i) special hospitals including control of the
acute infectious diseases; (ii) general hospitals and district medical work transferred
from the poor law guardians; and (iii) general public health administration including
housing and the school medical service. Three principal medical officers were
appointed upon the above-mentioned date to take charge of the three branches,
viz., (i) special hospitals, etc., Dr. J. A. H. Brincker; (ii) general hospitals and
poor law medical administration, etc., Dr. W. Brander; and (iii) general public
health administration, Dr. W. A. Daley. With the exception of the administrative
work in connection with infectious disease in 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, of which
the senior medical officer in charge is Dr. C. J. Thomas, embraces the medical inspection
of school children, the medical and dental treatment and cleansing of schoolchildren,
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 (divisional medical officer, Dr. F. C. Lewis); northeast
(divisional medical officer, Dr. G. Chaikin); south-east (divisional medical
officer, Dr. H. R. Kidner); south-west (divisional medical officer, Dr. E. E. Argles).
The remaining staff in this branch of the school medical work includes one
principal assistant medical officer for aural work (Mr. A. G. Wells); seven part-time
assistant aurists; one part-time consulting dental surgeon (Dr. A. Livingston); one parttime
principal assistant medical officer (Dr. B. Tchaykovsky); one divisional medical
officer for ophthalmic work, nursery schools, etc. (Dr. E. M. McVail); *21 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 132 sessions a week ; 10 medical officers (part-time) at open-air
schools, etc.; 266 surgeons and anaesthetists at treatment centres; and 93 dentists
at treatment centres, of whom 64 are employed as inspecting dentists in the schools.
As mentioned in last year's Annual Report, Miss D. E. Bannon was
appointed as matron-in-chief of the public health department on 1st October,
1929. Her duties include the superintendence of the school nursing staff in addition
to the supervision and organisation of the nursing staff at the hospitals and
institutions 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. F. C. 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, the Blind Persons Act, and the medical examination of the Council's
staff. In this section are included the services of a part-time consulting surgeon for
aural disease (Mr. 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. A. C. Williams and E. J. Boome); an
assistant medical officer who is attached for half his time to Ponton-road place of
detention.
School Buildings.
The 1927-30 programme adopted by the Education Committee provided for
the completion of 10.140 new school places in 14 new schools, two enlargements,
*Two vacancies and two medical officers temporarily seconded for work under the Mental
Deficiency Acts.