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In London, on the other hand, the legal responsibility of the education authority
for the medical treatment of all children of school age, the far-sighted policy which
has brought about a great system of social care for the school children in which
voluntary and official elements are closely combined, and which maintains cooperation
with every kind of voluntary organisation in the field, allotting to each its
appropriate share in the organisation, and the placing at the disposal of voluntary
hospitals of the services of liaison officers in the persons of organisers of care committee
work has completely solved the problem so far as concerns those hospitals
(which are now many) who have desired to be associated in this way with the great
work of children's care carried on through the medium of the schools.
Guy's
hospital.
The following report on Guy s hospital indicates the extent and character of
this work:—
The Council has again secured the attendance of assistant organisers of care committee
work in the aural, eye, orthopaedic and skin departments of Guy's Hospital. It has thus been
possible to keep the school care committees supplied with up-to-date information in regard to
children attending these departments. The almoner has been most helpful in obtaining information
from other departments for school doctors, school care committees, and school attendance
officers.
Subjoined is the divisional treatment organiser's report on the work in the departments
attended by an organiser:—
"In the aural department 1,577 new cases were seen during the year; 745 were discharged
cured, and the care committees reported that no further treatment was necessary in the case of
an additional 81 children. In the out-patient department 138 operations for the removal of
tonsils and adenoids were performed, and the children were taken home by the Council's
ambulance after the operation.
"In the eye department 1,362 new cases were seen. Of these, 890 were tested for glasses,
which were prescribed for 777, while 113 were found not to require glasses. During the year
758 children obtained their glasses, but this includes some ordered in 1931. In addition, 8 children
were referred to the Council's hospital, White Oak, Swanley, for treatment for chronic eye
trouble.
"In the orthopaedic department 200 new cases were seen, of whom 36 were discharged
cured, and 92 were reported as having left school, left London or refused further attendance.
There are 508 children attending periodically for supervision, many of whom are referred to the
massage department for treatment. The organiser checks their attendances each week, and
reports to the care committee if they do not attend regularly.
"In the skin department 907 new cases were seen during the year, of which 17 were suffering
from ringworm of the head and 104 from scabies.
"There were 56 new cases in the diphtheria carrier clinic during the year, with a total of
233 attendances.
"Arrangements were made for a great number of children attending the aural and skin
departments, for whom daily treatment by a nurse was necessary, to have the treatment carried
out at the school treatment centres.
"The number of children referred to the school medical officer for special examination
during the year with a view to admission to the schools specified is as follows: Schools for the
physically defective, 20; open-air schools, 3; epileptic colony, 1; hard-of-hearing school, 1.
In addition, 6 children were recommended for re-examination with a view to their transfer from
schools for the physically defective to elementary schools."
General.
Schools and Homes transferred from former Poor Law Authorities.
In the report for 1931 (Vol. Ill, Part II, p. 15), a description was given of the
progress made in securing a more uniform system in the administration of the
medical arrangements in the various schools and homes transferred to the Council's
jurisdiction from the former poor-law authorities. The general arrangements have
worked well, and further progress has been made especially in extending the scheme
for immunisation against diphtheria (see p. 65), and the organisation of a visiting
specialist service for refraction of the eyes.
Dietary.
The new provisional dietary described in detail in last year's report was
introduced into the Council's residential schools in March, 1932. The effects of the
dietary have been watched by Dr. Wilfrid Sheldon, who is mainly responsible for the
following interim report:—
All the children have been weighed and their heights measured both at the time of
introduction of the diet (March, 1932) and again after six months (September, 1932). Conclusions
are based partly on the figures for height and weight returned from the schools and also on the
special reports of the superintendents and medical officers of the schools, who have commented
on the general value of the diet, its palatability, practicability and effect on the children's
health. They were also invited to make any suggestions as to suitable modifications.