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109
asthma, were selected and sent to Malix, Switzerland, for a six months' stay, through
the generosity of the Swiss Mountain Cure Aid for British Children.
Special
investigations
A new vitamin, B.12, was recently used in the United States of America and
found to be of value to debilitated children. Sufficient of this vitamin was made
available to the Council for a trial at some of the residential open-air schools. The
results were not conclusive, and a further investigation of its value will be made
in dav open-air schools in 1951.
Follow-up
by school
health
service 01
children
discharged
from
hospital
Arrangements for the transmission of information on the discharge of child
in-patients from the former Council hospitals were continued. Special arrangements
are being made with the Hospital for Sick Children for the transmission to the
divisional medical officers of copies of the discharge summaries which are also sent
to the family doctor responsible for the patient; and co-operation has been secured
with certain other hospitals for the trial use of a new "follow-up" card, devised
and first used in the county borough of West Ham. Discharge reports from hospitals
are of value to the Council's staff who consider whether any special action is needed
by the Council, e.g., special visits, home nursing, recuperative holidays, special
education, and advice concerning employment.
Co-operation
with
family
doctor
The school health service is fully aware of the importance of team work with
the family doctor as well as with the hospitals in the care of the school child.
Arrangements are made at the school medical inspections and at school treatment
centres for the family doctor to be informed of any defect deemed to require hospital
investigation or treatment and he is given the opportunity of arranging this himself
if he prefers to do so. There are, also, many direct references of children by the
school doctor to the family doctor.
Speech
therapy
At the end of 1950 there were 19 speech-therapy centres for children attending
ordinary schools, 1 experimental clinic for children attending E.S.N, schools, and a
clinic at Banstead Residential School; this will be expanded in the coming year.
The staff consisted of one senior speech therapist, one whole-time and four part-time
speech therapists, all under the supervision of a senior assistant medical officer. The
children attended the centres once or twice a week and the average number treated
at each session was 16.
The number of children attending the centres for the first time during the year
was 194, and the total number of pupils in attendance was 864 ; 148 children were
discharged as cured, and 54, most of whom were improved, left for various reasons.
The remainder were still under treatment at the end of the year.
Classes for
foot
defects
Special classes to correct foot defects, before they develop into permanent
disabilities, were started in 1948 in 78 schools. These classes were under the supervision
of a part-time specialist in physical medicine, who selected suitable children
and of teachers, selected and instructed by the Council's organisers of physical
training. By the end of 1950 this figure dropped to 70. Growing difficulties with
regard to both staffing and accommodation led to this fall, and the fact that the
number of schools holding classes was as high as 70 was due to the interest and
co-operation of the head teachers and staff concerned.
Handicapped children
6,804 examinations of children were made during the year with a view to
ascertaining the need for either special educational treatment or its continuance.