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There was a further decline in the percentage of the school population found at
nurses' hygiene inspections to be 'verminous' This figure has reduced from 8 per
cent, in 1948 to the record low figure of 2.7 per cent. in 1954.
The demand for treatment at the Council's child guidance chnics was such that
authority was given for the appointment of two additional whole-time psychiatric
social workers and one whole-time and two part-time psychotherapists.
Dental
services
Some slight expansion was possible in the school dental services during 1954, but
much remains to be accomplished in this field before the Council's policy of establishing
a ratio of one full-time dental officer for each 3,000 children on the school roll can be
achieved ; the ratio attained throughout the County as a whole was 1 to 5,600.
It is disturbing to note the results of the sample survey (referred to on page 118)
which showed that of 2,040 children found to require treatment after dental inspection,
over one-third had apparently received no treatment or only partial treatment after six
months. This survey was carried out to ascertain the extent to which parents who
expressed their intention to have private treatment for their children did so, and in an
attempt to estimate the volume of children's dental work done elsewhere than through
the Council's dental centres.
An encouraging feature of the work generally is the progressive improvement in
the ratio of permanent teeth restored to permanent teeth extracted.
All applications for treatment of expectant and nursing mothers and pre-school
children were met during the year but here again a lot remains to be done, when staff
considerations permit, before the aims of the National Health Service Act, 1946, for a
comorehensive service can be fully realised.
Training of
student
nurses from
hospitals
For the purpose of meeting the requirements of the revised syllabus of the General
Nursing Council whereby student nurses, from the 1st of January, 1954, were required
to have a knowledge of personal and communal health and of the social aspects of
disease, arrangements were entered into with the four metropohtan area nurse training
committees for the provision of facilities by the Council to the nurse training schools
in London for their students to be given field experience and for selected medical
officers and health visitors to give lectures. About 3,000 students were granted these
facilities during the year.
Staff
The Department lost by retirement, on reaching the age limit on 14th March, 1954,
the services of Mr. C. J. Regan, b.sc., f.r.i.c., Chemist-in-Chief, who entered the
Council's service in 1911. Mr. Regan's energy and vision enabled the chemical branch
to meet the ever-increasing demands for scientific advice in relation to the Council's
activities and his contributions towards developments at the Council's outfall works
were of the highest order. His wide knowledge, outstanding ability and qualities of
leadership have contributed largely to the present high standing of this branch of the
Department. He was succeeded by his deputy, Dr. S. G. Burgess, b.sc., ph.d., f.r.i.c.,
f.Inst.Pet.
During the year Dr. G. D. Pirrie, Principal Medical Officer engaged on school health
work, and Miss B. Thom, Divisional Nursing Officer for Division 8, commenced
two-year secondments to the World Health Organisation. Dr. Pirrie is now engaged
on medical relief work in Formosa and Miss Thom is undertaking pioneer public health
nursing work in the Eastern Punjab.
I regret to record the death on the 21st of March, 1954, of Dr. H. G. Williams,
m.r.c.S., d.p.m., d.p.h., whole-time psychiatrist in the department, who was appointed
to the Council's service in March, 1949. The development in recent years of the work
of the child guidance clinics, special education for maladjusted children, and the
beginnings of mental health education owed much to his interest and industry.
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