London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1948
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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| Defect | No. of schools | Accommodation | Roll | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | Day | Boys | Girls | ||
| Blind | 2 | 80 | 30 | 54 | 15 |
| Deaf | 3† | 155 | 68 | 84 | 75 |
| Physically handicapped | 2 | 104 | — | 69 | 31 |
| Delicate | 7 | 439 | — | 228 | 136 |
| *Educationally sub-normal | 2 | 238 | — | 217 | — |
| Diabetic | 1 | 63 | — | 37 | 26 |
| Maladjusted | 1 | 45 | — | 44 | — |
| Total | 18 | 1,124 | 98 | 733 | 283 |
†Including "Rayners" which admits children suffering from dual defects.
*Girls in "Palingswick House" residential E.S.N, home are included in day E.S.N, rolls.
In addition to the handicapped children in the Council's own residential special
schools, there were at the end of the year 844 L.C.C. children in non-Council
residential special schools catering for the following defects:—
Number of children in non-L.C.C. residential schools and hostels
Blind 57
Partially sighted 7
Deaf and partially deaf 31
Physically handicapped 61
Delicate 449
Educationally sub-normal 86
Epileptic 58
Diabetic —
Maladjusted 92
Speech defect 3
844
C. Hospital schools
The Council also maintained the following seven hospitals for children requiring medical treatment, education being given when the children were considered fit for it by the medical staff:—
| Roll | ||
|---|---|---|
| Boys | Girls | |
| Goldie Leigh | 43 | 36 |
| Heatherwood | 42 | 31 |
| High Wood | 111 | 103 |
| Queen Mary's | 272 | 243 |
| St. Faith's | 16 | 12 |
| White Oak | 51 | 54 |
| St. Anne's, Herne Bay | 18 | 24 |
| Totals | 553 | 503 |
The Council continued to administer these hospital schools after the end of the
year although Goldie Leigh is the only one sited within the County of London.
The others will ultimately pass to the local authorities of the areas in which they
are situated.
Holiday home
care
School children needing holiday home care, as distinct from convalescence for
which provision is made by the Regional Hospital Boards, are sent to holiday homes
through the Invalid Children's Aid Association free of any charge. From 5th July
to the end of the year 1,098 school children had been placed in holiday homes for an
average period of 3 weeks.
Prior to 5th July convalescence was arranged by the Hospitals Division of the
department and an account of the work is given on page 90.