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CO-ORDINATION.
It has been our aim, during the year, to co-ordinate
the work of the School Health Service with that of
Maternity and Child Welfare with a view to ensuring
continuity of supervision and treatment of children from
birth to school leaving age. It was, therefore, a great
help to have the School Health Service on a local basis
so that the Medical Officers and Health Visitors in the
child care services generally could exchange records and
information to ensure the most efficient follow up of
children when they pass from pre-school to school life.
Periodic Medical Inspections. See Table 1.
The successful carrying out of routine medical
inspections was made possible by the excellent co-operation
of Head Teachers and their staffs and it is true to
say that this is now regarded as an integral part of the
school curriculum. It is at these inspections that the
greatest number of defects are discovered and where a
great deal of information is obtained in regard to the
school children by discussions with the parents.
Generally speaking, it was found that entrants,
8-year-olds and 11-year-olds showed a uniformly high
standard of personal hygiene. Clothing was good and
clean and the incidence of skin diseases very low. In
only a few cases was it necessary to record a defect in
clothing or of footwear.
The attendance of parents at routine medical inspections
was good, being practically 100 per cent. in the
case of entrants, but as might be expected there was a
falling off in the case of senior children.
There is no great change in the findings at routine
medical inspections in the schools and the proportion
of children classified as A, B and C remains roughly the
same. Dental caries constitutes the principal cause of
defect with Ear, Nose and Throat conditions remaining
second on the list. Of the deformities, flat feet and genu
valgum are decreasing in frequency and scoliosis is
hardly ever seen.
It is well worth reviewing the technique of routine
examination from time to time and assessing its real
value, as there is no doubt that few procedures can
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