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

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London County Council 1934

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

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62
care of the child becoming stereotyped and bureaucratised, a fault which might
otherwise be difficult to avoid. Friendliness and co-operation with the parents
are the key notes of this social service. The teachers whenever possible give much
assistance, and in many cases it is entirely owing to their help and devotion that the
care committee work in the schools is possible.
The services of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
are freely given in the supervision of unsatisfactory families.
The Invalid Children's Aid Association gives unstinted help in the care of the
crippled children and in convalescing children recovering from acute disease.
Co-operatior
with
voluntary
hospitals.
London is abundantly rich in voluntary hospitals which provide extensive
services for the poor. It has been the aim of the school medical service to work
harmoniously in co-operation with these. While some of them are definitely
included in the authority's scheme for medical treatment, others are only linked
with the service by voluntary arrangements. At a number of hospitals a liaison
officer or officers, consisting of a member or members of the Council's care
committee organising staff, attends regularly and keeps the hospitals in touch with
the social services of the schools.
The presence of the organiser at the hospital ensures following-up for all the
children under the scheme, and influences the proper care and following-up of
children attending the hospitals not under the scheme, too, for "non-Council"
ailments, as the organiser is appealed to on behalf of these also.
The association of the organisers with voluntary hospitals makes a great difference
in the results of hospital treatment, and generally speaking the condition of
children attending hospitals where the Council's organisers attend is satisfactory,
whereas the condition of children attending hospitals outside the scheme where no
organiser attends is as regards following-up often quite unsatisfactory.
The scope of the work in those hospitals in which the Council maintains an
organiser or organisers is shown in the following report dealing with Guy's hospital
Guy's
hospital.
There are three assistant organisers working in Guy's hospital, in the aural, eye, orthopedic
and skin departments, and the diphtheria carrier clinic. These organisers form a link between
the hospital physicians and surgeons and the school care committees. The care committees
are supplied with up-to-date information about children attending these departments and they
furnish reports for the information of the hospital doctors. In departments where there is no
organiser, the almoner obtains reports for the care committees and divisional officers.
In the aural department 1,308 new children were seen during the year;619 were discharged
cured, 16 left school and 22 were reported well by the care committees.
During the year 1,061 new children attended the eye department; 979 were tested for
glasses, and of this number 743 had glasses prescribed and 81 were found not to require glasses.
In regard to the other 155, no change in glasses was necessary. During the year, 724 pairs of
glasses were obtained but some of these were prescribed in 1933.
In the orthopaedic department 165 new children were seen, of whom 5 were found not to
require treatment; 28 children were discharged cured, 76 left school, 4 left London and 6 were
referred to other departments for treatment. A number of children were referred to the massage
department for treatment, and the organiser checks their attendances once a fortnight and reports
to the care committees if they do not attend as directed. Twelve children had minor operations
performed in the out-patient department, and there are 573 children attending periodically for
supervision.
During the year 609 new children attended the skin department, which is a slight decrease
on last year's numbers. Of these, 15 were suffering from ringworm of the head and 87 from
scabies. The ringworm cases were referred to the light department of the hospital for X-ray
treatment, and the majority of the scabies cases to the school bathing centres.
There were 95 new cases in the diphtheria carrier clinic during the year, with a total of
375 attendances.
The majority of children attending in the aural, eye and skin departments were treated
at home, but in some cases arrangements were made for them to have daily treatment at the
school treatment centres.
The numbers of children referred to the school medical officer for special examination were
as follows:—Schools for the physically defective, 11; partially sighted class, 4; hard-of-hearing
school, 3; White Oak hospital, Swanley, 5; while 8 children were recommended for re-examination
with a view to their transfer from schools for the physically defective to elementary schools.
Defective children.
Examinations with a view to the admission of children to special schools,
other than hospital schools, were made in 4,598 cases. The following table
shows the number of children nominated for examination and the recommendations
made:—