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The freedom of choice of the individual parent necessarily remains. For example, a
school pupil's spectacles may be provided through a school treatment centre, through a
teaching hospital or by an optician; the cost falling, respectively, upon a hospital
management committee, a board of governors, or an executive council. Similarly, if
the parent wishes, a school pupil may obtain dental treatment at a school health service
dental surgery, a teaching or other hospital or from a general dental service or a private
practitioner. Certain anomalies in the charges which the parent may in certain circumstances
be called upon to pay, arise from the regulations in the various statutory instruments
which govern the parallel, but differing, health services.
In certain cases, e.g. repair of spectacles in lack of care cases, the Council can and does
make a payment to other health services to prevent a charge falling on the parents; while
in others, e.g. provision of orthodontic appliances, prescriptions for medicines, etc. the
Council cannot take this action.
The co-ordination of these services, to provide a scheme for the treatment of school
pupils which is both comprehensive and efficient, and at the same time economical of
both exchequer and local rate expenditure, is a matter for continuous liaison and
co-operation between the Council and the various bodies administering the national
health service. By no means has finality yet been reached in this matter.
Specialist
clinics
The responsibility for the provision of specialists at rheumatism, ear, nose and throat,
vision and orthoptic clinics held in school treatment centres has been accepted by three
of the metropolitan regional hospital boards; negotiations are continuing with the fourth.
In addition, facilities for such specialist treatment are available at many hospital clinics.
The Council remains wholly responsible for the minor ailment, audiology, special
investigation, nutrition and dental clinics.
School
treatment
centres
At the end of the year there were 103 school treatment centres, 76 run directly by
the Council and 27 by voluntary committees. Negotiations continued with the voluntary
committees for formalising their arrangements with the Council in new agreements, the
old ones having lapsed.

*Specialists provided in most cases by regional hospital boards.
† Several of these are 'twin' surgeries.
Treatment of
school pupils
at hospitals
Before July, 1948, the Council had made special arrangements with a number of
hospitals for the treatment of school children, and it is gratifying to be able to report
that the hospitals have been willing to allow them not only to continue, but also to
develop. The co-operation between the school health service and the hospitals takes
several forms, most of which depend upon the important part played by the medicosocial
workers of the childrens' care organisation in the school health service. At 23
hospitals, special sessions are provided for the treatment of school pupils, and organisers
make the appointments and attend the sessions. At ten other hospitals the organiser
undertakes the making of appointments, although she is not present at the sessions. In
addition, at 16 hospitals one or more of the Council's organisers attends to act as the
link between the children's out-patient department, the specialist clinics, the school health