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Service, and with the extension of free ambulance facilities and additional duties
foreshadowed by the National Health Service Bill, the Service can look forward
to a period of increasing activities, in which the experience gained during the war
years will no doubt prove of great value.
school health service
Education Act, 1944
The most notable development during the year was the coming into operation
on 1st April, 1945, of the Education Act, 1944. The relevant sections of the Act
materially altered the previous practice both as regards the medical inspection of,
and the provision of medical treatment for, school pupils. Under the Act the
certification of children as mentally or physically defective was abolished and it
became the duty of every local education authority to ascertain which children
in their area require special educational treatment and for this purpose the local
education authority have power to examine medically any child in their area who
has attained the age of two years. It will be seen therefore that, for the first time,
the local education authority is expected to examine medically, in the circumstances
mentioned, children of pre-school age; and parents who, without reasonable
excuse, refuse to submit their child for such medical examination, render themselves
liable to a penalty. Moreover, whereas, under previous enactments the certificate
of the examining medical officer was final, the Act prescribes in detail a procedure
which has to be followed whereby it is for the local education authority to ascertain
if the child is in need of special educational treatment after obtaining, in addition
to the report by the doctor, reports from teachers, if the child is at school, or other
persons with respect to the ability and aptitude of the child. Children for whom
special educational treatment is considered necessary are described as "handicapped,"
and the various categories of "handicapped" children embrace descriptions not
included within the scope of previous educational enactments. The complete list
is as follows: blind, partially-sighted, deaf, partially-deaf, delicate, diabetic,
educationally sub-normal (previously known as "mentally defective"), epileptic,
maladjusted, physically handicapped and those suffering from speech defect.
A somewhat similar procedure to that indicated above was also prescribed
by the Act to determine which children in the area of the local education authority
over the age of two years, are suffering from a disability of mind of such a nature
or to such an extent as to make them incapable of receiving education at school,
with a view to such children being referred for necessary action by the local authority
under the Mental Deficiency Acts. Similar provision was made for ensuring that
children in attendance at a special school who are suffering from a disability of mind
shall, if necessary, receive supervision after leaving the special school.
The important feature of the Education Act, 1944, in regard to the medical
treatment of pupils in attendance at schools or colleges maintained by the local
education authority is the requirement that such treatment shall be free, and
moreover, that the facilities for the free medical treatment shall be comprehensive.
In addition to making arrangements for securing the provision of free medical
treatment, the local education authority also has the duty to encourage and assist
pupils to take advantage of the facilities provided; but, if the parent of any pupil
gives notice that he objects to the pupil availing himself of the treatment provided,
the pupil shall not be encouraged, or assisted, so to do. In pursuance of this duty
placed upon the Council as the local education authority, arrangements were made
for free medical treatment in the Council's hospitals, which provide a comprehensive
service covering every type of illness, at school treatment centres and at voluntary
hospitals with which the Council, under previous enactments, already had arrangements
for the treatment of certain specified defects or illnesses. Steps were also