London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1932

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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2s. for each verminous child, and 1s. for each attendance in the case of scabies. The
payments to the medical treatment centres are at the rate of 1s. 4d. or 1s. 6d. per
case according to the size of the centre.
In addition the Council has 10 centres of its own, usually situated in districts
where no arrangements are possible with the appropriate boroughs.
Staff.
The public health department is organised in three branches, (i) special hospitals
including control of the acute infectious diseases and of the ambulance service;
(ii) general hospitals and district medical work transferred from the late London
poor-law guardians; and (iii) general public health administration including housing
and the school medical service. A principal medical officer is in charge of each of
the three branches, viz. (i) special hospitals, etc., Dr. J. A. H. Brincker; (ii) general
hospitals and public assistance 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 is
directed by Dr. Brincker, 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 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
(divisional medical officer, Dr. F. C. Lewis); north-east (divisional medical officer,
Dr. G. Chaikin); south-east (divisional medical officer, Dr. H. R. Kidner); southwest
(divisional medical officer, Dr. E. E. Argles). The remaining staff in this
branch of the school medical work included one principal assistant medical officer
for aural work (Mr. A. G. Wells); nine part-time assistant aurists ; one part-time
consulting dental surgeon (Mr. B. Samuel); one part-time 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 ;
10 assistant medical officers giving six sessions a week ; 46 assistant medical officers
giving three sessions a week; additional temporary medical assistance for 124
sessions a week; 9 medical officers (part-time) at open-air schools ; 269 surgeons
and anaesthetists at treatment centres; and 97 dentists at treatment centres, of
whom 67 are employed as inspecting dentists in the schools.
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 and
approved schools. 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
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) and an assistant medical officer who is attached to Ponton-road place of
detention. The duties of the position of part-time consulting surgeon for aural
disease, rendered vacant by the retirement of Mr. P. M. Yearsley, were taken
over by Mr. A. G. Wells.
The duties of Miss D. E. Bannon, matron-in-chief of the public health department,
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
at present five assistant superintendents, 80 school nursing sisters and 290 nurses.
* Two vacancies—also one and a half medical officers are temporarily seconded for work under the
Mental Deficiency Acts (equivalent substitutes authorised).