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Holidays for
diabetic and
epileptic
children
During the summer the Diabetic Association again organised holidays for diabetic
children and the British Epilepsy Association, under a similar scheme, a holiday for
epileptic children.
A small number of London diabetic and epileptic children, who would otherwise
have been denied a holiday because of the problems associated with their handicaps,
were provided with holidays at Kingsdown, Kent; Barrow, Lancashire (diabetic
children), and Brockley, Northants (epileptic children).
Scabies, impetigo and ringworm
Individuals treated for scabies totalled 961, compared with 898 in 1954.
Cases of impetigo treated at minor ailment and bathing centres numbered 3,749,
compared with 3,196 in 1954.
The incidence of scalp ringworm (9 cases) was the lowest ever recorded in the
County.
Medical treatment
Under Section 3 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, it became a duty of the
Minister of Health to provide through Regional Hospital Boards and Boards of
Governors of Teaching Hospitals, the services of specialists at hospitals, health centres,
clinics, etc. The Council, as Local Education Authority, also has a duty under Section
48 (3) of the Education Act, 1944, ' to make such arrangements .... as are necessary
for securing that comprehensive facilities for free medical treatment are available to its
pupils either under this Act or otherwise'. Guiding principles on the specialist work
carried out at local education authority clinics were laid down in Circular 179 issued
by the Minister of Education and after discussions with the Boards it was agreed that
responsibility for the provision of specialists at rheumatism, ear, nose and throat, vision
and orthoptic clinics lay with the Metropolitan Regional Hospital Boards, while the
Council remained wholly responsible for the minor ailment, audiology, special investigation,
nutrition and dental clinics. Circular 179 suggested that the Regional Hospital
Boards should plan the future organisation and development of services for schoolpupils
in consultation and agreement with local education authorities, but, in fact,
the final word on any growth of the specialist side of the school health service would
appear to he with the Regional Hospital Boards.
In the 1953 and 1954 reports attention was drawn to the difficulty in obtaining the
necessary vision sessions in one of the four metropolitan hospital regions, the Regional
Hospital Board being unable to accept any additional financial commitments. As a
special case the Ministry of Health authorised the Council to employ ophthalmologists
to deal with the mounting waiting lists. Up to the end of December, 1955, 1,414 sight
tests were carried out at 241 vision sessions in the three divisions concerned. The
Regional Hospital Board agreed to make provision for additional vision sessions in
1956.
School
treatment
centres

*Several of these are twin surgeries.
†Specialists provided in most cases by regional hospital boards.
‡In addition to 27 in day E.S.N., 17 in P.H., and five in residential schools.
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