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94
Boarding
open-air
schools
Residential convalescent care is provided for children with a history of incipient or
recent tuberculosis, at boarding open-air schools maintained by the Council under the
Education Acts and, by arrangement, in voluntary open-air schools. The co-operation of
the local health authorities of the areas in which the schools are situated permits regular
surveillance of these children by the local chest physician during their stay at the school.
No child with known ' open ' or infectious tuberculosis is, however, admitted. The
schools maintained by the Council's Education Committee in 1952 were :
Burrow Hill Colony School, Frimley.
George Rainey School, St. Leonards-on-Sea.
Warnham Court, Horsham, Sussex (moved fromWhite Oak Hospital, Swanley,
in March, 1952).
Kathleen Schlesinger School, nr. Henley.
Wanstead House, Cliftonville, Margate.
Bowden House School, Seaford.
Wainwright Residential School, Broadstairs.
These schools provide 425 places for delicate children. In addition some children
were accommodated in private open-air boarding schools.
The total number of children with a history of primary tuberculosis accommodated
in open-air boarding schools during 1952 was 80 (44 boys and 36 girls), 33 of whom
(17 boys and 16 girls) were children whose stay extended from 1951. At the end of the
year 29 such children (20 boys and 9 girls) were still in these schools, while 11 children
(4 boys and 7 girls) were awaiting admission in January, 1953. This is a service which
provides suitable convalescence and educational facilities, in good surroundings, for
children who need ' building up ' for several months to tide them over a ' primary '
infection.
Mass
miniature
radiography
Protection of
children
against
tuberculosis
Measures suggested in recent Ministry of Health and Home Office circulars for the
protection of organised groups of children against the risk of infection by adults suffering
from tuberculosis were introduced in 1952. They provide for chest X-ray examinations,
on appointment and annually, of certain staff whose employment brings them into close
contact with children, and for epidemiological investigations among contact staff and
children at establishments where cases of tuberculosis have occurred. The following
summary gives the results of investigations made during 1952 at Council schools,
nurseries, etc., where a case of tuberculosis in a member of the staff or a group of cases
in children had been reported.
Health
education in
tuberculosis
During 1952, a sample survey of adult public opinion on tuberculosis was undertaken
throughout the administrative county. The questions asked were designed to
explore and measure public knowledge of facts on the origin, symptoms, treatment
and prevention of tuberculosis. 1,063 persons whose opinions represented a fair sample of
the main social adult groups were successfully interviewed. The findings revealed
marked ignorance on causation, prevention and infectivity of tuberculosis, valuable
indications being gained of what is lacking in public knowledge of tuberculosis, so that
a basis on which to plan educative measures is now available.
Co-operation with the mass miniature radiography service of the metropolitan
regional hospital boards allows the Council to carry out certain of its preventive measures.
In conjunction with the service epidemiological investigations are made on tuberculosis
contacts at schools, nurseries, welfare homes and other establishments (see page 95).
The mass X-ray examination of school-leavers is now a feature of the programmes of
the London units. The units also provide facilities for the periodic examination of the
Council's staff working in close contact with children. Details of the movements of the
mobile units are regularly circulated throughout the Council's service and this information
is also given to the public on enquiry. Facilities for propaganda by poster and leaflet
are also provided at the Council's establishments. The existence of three static units in
London has been of special help in this regard. One of these units established in Islington
attempted during 1952 a borough-wide X-ray survey of the resident and local working
population.