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at Lissonia treatment centre, established in the Marylebone Health Centre, No. 2,
the Old Ford, the South Hammersmith and the Dog Kennel Hill centres, the medical
staff is appointed directly by the Council.
The other section concerned with the school medical service (Dr. Verner Wiley,
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 (Home Office) schools. Dr. Wiley also deals with the work under the
Mental Deficiency Acts, the Blind Persons Act, and, together with a principal
assistant medical officer, the medical examination of the Council's staff. In this
section for school purposes are included the services (part-time) of the Council's
consulting orthopaedic surgeon; a part-time ophthalmologist; two divisional
medical officers, and a part-time medico-psychologist at the Council's remand home.
The duties of consulting surgeon for aural disease in this section are performed by a
principal assistant medical officer attached to Dr. Thomas' section, while a divisional
medical officer in the same section carries out the medical supervision of schools
for the partially sighted.
The oversight of the school dental service is performed by the whole-time consulting
dental surgeon to the Council, who now has a whole-time assistant. His
duties are concerned with the development of dental services in all the Council's
institutions and hospitals, and are thus not confined to the school medical service. In
connection with the re-organisation of the school dental service during the year, the
part-time dental surgeons engaged at treatment centres, numbering 105, were taken
over directly by the Council. There are in addition 12 dental surgeons appointed
by the authorities of voluntary hospitals with whom the Council has agreements for
the treatment of school children.
The duties of the matron-in-chief in the public health department, include the
superintendence of the school nursing staff. A principal matron supervises the school
nursing service, which comprises at present, 5 assistant superintendents, 53 nursing
sisters and 385 nurses.
School buildings and equipment
The three years' programme of development for elementary schools adopted for the
years 1935-38, made provision for the erection of new schools and the rebuilding,
modernisation or enlargement of existing schools. At the end of the programme
period in 1938, nine new schools had been erected and opened, two enlargements had
been completed, and eight additional schools had been rebuilt or modernised.
A further feature of the programme was the reconditioning of premises and the
provision of the amenities included in the new standard planning by a systematic
overhaul of schools in which rebuilding or remodelling is not contemplated or due.
Sixty-six schools were dealt with in 1935-37, and, at the end of the programme period
in 1938, 46 additional schools had been completed or nearly completed under this
provision.
Progress in the provision of playing fields, gymnasia, and shower-baths is described
in the report of the organisers of physical education (p. 41).
The new programme for 1938-41 provides for the purchase of sites, the erection
and equipment of new schools, the enlargement, rebuilding or modernising of
existing schools and the provision of further accommodation to meet housing developments.
The position at the end of 1938 shows that work on 18 new schools and enlargements
brought forward from the previous programme is in hand, together with five
additional proposals under the new programme. Twenty-five schools for rebuilding
or modernising, brought forward from the previous programme, are being dealt with ;
and consideration of preliminary plans of 18 schools under the new programme has
commenced.
Lavatory
accommodation
The Council in 1934, in approving a new standard of accommodation for Council
elementary schools, decided that office and lavatory accommodation should continue
to be provided on the Board of Education's 1914 scale, with some wash basins placed
near the w.c.'s.