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Arrangements were made for the annual X-ray examination of the chests of all persons
attending elder girls' and elder boys' centres. The only active case of tuberculosis
discovered was admitted to the sanatorium of a mental deficiency institution.
Chest X-ray
examinations
Special funcuons were held at most centres, to which parents and friends were
invited, when the general activities were shown and articles made in the centres offered
for sale. Sales realised £41 4s. 7d. at junior centres, £395 15s. 7d. (including £154 12s. 9d.
for shoe repairs) at elder boys' centres and £61 15s. 10d. (including £7 16s. 4d. for
cookery) at elder girls' centres. Some apparatus was made at elder boys' centres for use
at other centres.
Open days and
sales of work
Another successful holiday of 2 weeks tor 207 children and adults from the centres,
in the charge of staff, was spent at a seaside holiday camp. The expenses of the staff
were borne by the Council and those of 76 necessitous children and adults were also
wholly or partly paid. Day outings were arranged for some centres and four needy
children were assisted with the cost. Parties of children attended a free circus dress
rehearsal, the cost of transport being paid from private funds. Children and adults from
centres were also taken by Council coaches to local parks and open spaces for recreation
during the summer months and arrangements were made for the elder boys to play
cricket and football.
Holidays and
outings
Parties were held at each centre to celebrate the Coronation and each child was
presented with a souvenir beaker. In two instances the local Borough Councils included
the occupation centre children in their presentations of Coronation souvenirs to school
children. Christmas parties and entertainments were also held at all centres.
Parties
Several centres received from local parents' groups donations which were expended
on extra treats for the children or on toys and apparatus not normally provided.
Gifts
Ten members ot the supervisory start commenced attendance at a two year part-time
course of training organised by the National Association for Mental Health. Lectures
took place during evenings and vacations. Periods of practical training in centres of
other authorities will be undertaken during 1954 and students from other authorities
will come to London centres. Some students from the equivalent full-time day course
(from other areas) undertook periods of practical training in London centres during
1953.
Staff—Course
of training
Centres were visited during the year by parties of students from various organised
courses and by other interested persons. A routine inspection of each centre was made
by Inspectors of the Board of Control and centres were also visited regularly by members
of the Health (Mental Health) Sub-Committee ; some members of divisional health
committees also attended centre functions.
Visits to
centres
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Legislation
the medical inspection and treatment of school pupils is prescribed as a duty of
local education authorities by the Education Act, 1944. During 1953 the Minister of
Education made new regulations under the Act, called the School Health Service and
Handicapped Pupils Regulations, 1953. These regulations came into force on 4th August,
1953, and an explanatory circular from the Ministry of Education, Circular 269, was
issued on 25th August, 1953. Broadly speaking, the new regulations merely codify and
simplify earlier regulations.
The general pattern of the school health service, as regards treatment of school
pupils, remains in the position it has been in since the inception of the National Health
Service. New legislation, the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1953, contains
a section which implies that a local education authority cannot discharge its duty to
provide dental treatment for school pupils by referring them to National Health Service
general dental practitioners for treatment.
H