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During the year pure tone sweep hearing testing began in two divisions as a pilot
scheme, and a teacher of the deaf was employed and commenced work at two centres,
north and south of the Thames, for the auditory training of very young deaf children.
An increasing demand upon the services of the child guidance units was still apparent
and. notwithstanding some increases of staff, waiting lists were lonorr than desirable
Dental
services
The position remained similar to that in 1954. The ratio of one full-time dental
officer for each 3,000 children on the school roll which is the Council's policy was no
nearer achievement. The ratio for the county was only 1:6,400 (as against 1:5,600 in
1954). Systematic revisional treatment was impracticable but a further improvement
was effected in the ratio of permanent teeth restored to permanent teeth extracted in
school children.
All applications for treatment from expectant and nursing mothers and children
under five years were met and an increase in the number of sessions available for these
patients was obtained, much of it by the working of voluntary additional sessions.
As I said in my report for 1954 much remains still to be done before a fully comprehensive
service as intended by the National Health Service Act, 1946, can be
achieved.
Training of
student nurses
from
hospitals
Hospital student nurses, as part of the revised syllabus of the General Nursing
Council, again spent some time observing and being instructed in the Council's health
services. Their number (3,627) increased considerably as compared with the number
for whom facilities were provided in 1954 (about 3,000).
Staff
During the year the work and staffing of the department was reviewed by a team
with experience in organisation and methods procedures. Their findings are reported
at page 125.
Throughout the year Dr. G. D. Pirrie, Principal Medical Officer engaged on school
health, and Miss B. Thom, Divisional Nursing Officer for Division 8, were absent on
secondment to the World Health Organisation, whilst Miss E. Beattie, Divisional
Nursing Officer for Division 2, was absent on study leave.
During the year Mr. L. Welsh and Mr. L. Wilkes, respectively Divisional Administrative
Officers of Divisions 1 and 3, retired from the service.
I regret to record the deaths of three valued officers of the public health department.
Dr. E. B. Argles, m.r.c.S., l.r.c.p., an assistant principal medical officer whose wide
experience and knowledge of housing conditions in London were of great value in the
work of slum clearance under the Housing Acts upon which latterly he was principally
engaged, died on 19th May, 1955, after a long illness. Dr. Evelyn C. M. McGregor,
m.b., b.ch., d.p.h., the deputy divisional medical officer for Division 4, where her long
experience in and enthusiasm for the maternity and child welfare and day nursery
services were highly valued, died on 26th August, 1955, after a brief illness. On 15th
December, 1955, Mr. F. E. Willson, the Divisional Administrative Officer of Division 9
who had given long and valuable service to London, much of it in the health field,
died suddenly.
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