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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73
In addition to the residential special schools there are seven residential schools
with accommodation for about 2,550 children committed to the care of the Council
under the Poor Law and Children's Acts.
Residential
schools
The Children Act, 1948, came into operation on 5th July, 1948, amending or
repealing some of the earlier Poor Law and Children's Acts and requiring local
authorities to place the care of deprived children under a separate children's
committee with its children's officer. The necessary re-organisation could not be
completed by the end of the year, and at that date these schools were still administered
by the Education Committee and were all full.
A visiting medical officer attends each day and is available for emergency calls.
He examines all children on entry, before discharge and at such other times as are
prescribed by the Council. A dental surgeon is appointed to visit and carry out all
dental treatment of the children resident in the schools. At each school there are at
least two resident school nurses. Periodical visits are made by senior medical and
nursing officers from the County Hall.
The following table, supplied by the Education Officer, shows the result of a census of the total numbers of school pupils provided with school meals and/or milk on two typical days in the months of June and October, 1948:—
| Number in attendance on selected day | Number who had dinner | Number who had milk—one-third pint free | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Paying | Totals | ||||||||
| June | October | June | October | June | October | June | October | June | October | |
| Primary | 209,017 | 208,520 | 10,503 | 10,331 | 89,225 | 90,144 | 99,728 | 100,475 | 202,528 | 202,240 |
| Secondary | 108,618 | 122,195 | 4,629 | 5,315 | 55,890 | 65,602 | 60,519 | 70,917 | 91,940 | 103,566 |
| Day Special | 3,277 | 4,564 | 520 | 668 | 2,625 | 3,699 | 3,145 | 4,367 | 3,129 | 4,497 |
| Total | 320,912 | 335,279 | 15,652 | 16,314 | 147,740 | 159,445 | 163,392 | 175,759 | 297,597 | 310,303 |
Provision of
meals
The percentage of children in attendance who received dinners was 50.9 in June
and 52.4 in October compared with 49.3 and 50.3 in the same months in 1947. The
free supply of one-third of a pint of milk to children was continued, 92.7 per cent.
and 92.55 per cent. receiving it in June and October, respectively, compared with
92.1 per cent. and 91.8 per cent in 1947.
The following information is supplied by the Chief Officer of the Restaurants
and Catering Department:—
The number of kitchens increased from 519 to 552 and dining centres from
740 to 794 between October, 1947, and October, 1948. Following extensive
investigations, including chemical analysis of random samples of meals actually
served to school children, it was found impossible to get the London child of
any age to consume an average meal of 1,000 calories every school day and the
School Meals Service aims at serving meals on the following lines:—
Age Group No. of calories
Under 7 years 500
7-11 years 650-750
Over 11 years 850-950
The diet of the children taking meals is under the supervision of the Council's
nutritional consultant, Dr. T. F. Macrae, O.B.E., D.Sc.
Random samples of served meals continue to be analysed by the Council's
Chemist to keep a close check on the quantities and qualities aimed at.