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 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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Medical inspections
Medical inspections made during the year, with comparable figures for the three previous
years, are summarised in the following table:
| 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | |||||
| Nursery | 10,021 | 6.2 | 11,294 | 6.5 | 12,320 | 7.1 | 9,063 | 4.9 |
| Entrants | 40,287 | 24.8 | 41,598 | 24.1 | 45,324 | 26.1 | 58,039 | 31.1 |
| 7 year old | 29,541 | 18.2 | 32,607 | 18.9 | 34,597 | 19.9 | 32,902 | 17.6 |
| 11 year old | 31,725 | 19.6 | 33,037 | 19.2 | 31,415 | 18.1 | 28,558 | 15.3 |
| Leavers | 26,382 | 16.3 | 27,464 | 15.9 | 27,272 | 15.7 | 26,908 | 14.4 |
| Other ages | 22,115 | 13.6 | 23,742 | 13.8 | 19,952 | 11.5 | 28,300 | 15.2 |
| Special schools | 1,633 | 1.0 | 2,143 | 1.3 | 2,215 | 1.3 | 2,319 | 1.2 |
| Training colleges | 465 | 0.3 | 543 | 0.3 | 533 | 0.3 | 482 | 0.3 |
| Total | 162,169 | 100.0 | 172,428 | 100.0 | 173,628 | 100.0 | 186,571 | 100.0 |
| Special inspections* | 110,026 | — | 119,901 | — | 122,302 | — | 139,908 | — |
| Re-inspections | 87,915 | — | 106,350 | — | 112,667 | — | 121,751 | — |
| Residential schools | 9,845 | — | 10,441 | — | 9,961 | — | 8,077 | — |
| Total | 207,786 | — | 236,692 | — | 244,930 | — | 269,736 | — |
| Grand Total | 369,955 | — | 409,120 | — | 418,558 | — | 456,307 | — |
*These are non-routine inspections of a miscellaneous nature and include pupils urgently brought to the attention of
the school doctor, inspections for employment certificates, for school journeys and holiday camps, periodical inspections of
handicapped pupils (for their special defect), etc.
The school population is still expanding under the influence of the post-war rise in
the birth-rate and as a result medical inspections in 1952 reached the highest total since
the war. Children seen at routine inspections formed 43.9 per cent. of the total of 425,362
on school rolls.
The percentages of these children who were referred for treatment (other than for
infestation or teeth) compared with the preceding years were:
| Age Group and Sex | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | Boys | 16.5 | 15.1 | 16.4 | 13.0 |
| Girls | 14.5 | 13.0 | 14.4 | 11.3 | |
| Entrants | Boys | 18.7 | 17.8 | 17.4 | 15.6 |
| Girls | 17.2 | 16.5 | 15.3 | 14.1 | |
| 7 years old | Boys | 21.6 | 20.4 | 19.8 | 18.9 |
| Girls | 20.6 | 19.7 | 18.6 | 18.4 | |
| 11 years old | Boys | 18.8 | 17.5 | 16.5 | 16.1 |
| Girls | 20.4 | 18.8 | 18.2 | 18.0 | |
| Leavers | Boys | 14.4 | 13.6 | 12.2 | 12.2 |
| Girls | 18.9 | 16.0 | 16.6 | 16.9 | |
| Other ages | Boys | 18.0 | 17.1 | 16.1 | 16.2 |
| Girls | 23.6 | 21.5 | 21.7 | 20.6 | |
| Total Boys and Girls* | 18.9 | 17.6 | 17.0 | 16.2 | |
*Exclusive of special schools and training colleges.