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The total number of children attending both maintained and
independent schools, who were examined in the routine age
groups was 11,044. The physical condition of all the pupils
inspected was satisfactory, and 1,970 pupils (17.8%) were found
to require treatment.
A further 4,005 children were given routine tests of vision
and hearing, as a result of which 185 pupils (4.6%) were referred
for treatment because of visual defects, and 28 pupils (.7%)
were referred for treatment because of hearing defects.
Follow-up examinations, referrals to General Practitioners,
Specialist Clinics, and to Hospital Consultants are arranged as
and when necessary.
Further details of these examinations will be found later in
the Report.
A stall of ten Medical Officers devote approximately 50% of
their lime to work within the School Health Service. Each Medical
Officer is responsible for a particular group of schools, so that
regular contact between the Head Teachers and their own School
Medical Officer is possible.
The schools allocated to each Medical Officer are grouped,
as far as possible, around the Child Welfare Clinics which the
particular Medical Officer also attends. This enables the Medical
Officer to see both the child and its parent at the Child Welfare
Clinic until the child becomes eligible for school, and then to
continue seeing them both at school. This continuing care is
valuable as it helps to build up a good relationship between the
parent, child and doctor.
The Borough co-operated in a National Child Development
Study in the second follow-up of every child born in one week
in 1958. The total number of children involved is approximately
16..000 and seventy of these children, who Live in the Borough,
were each medically examined and a very comprehensive form
completed. Considerable help was given in doing this by the
provision from the Sponsors of the Study, of a special vision
testing chart, a detailed booklet of instruction and a half-hour
tape recording with projector slides. As these may be retained
they will be very useful for demonstrations to newly joined Medical
Officers and Health Visitors.
The aims of the study are to gather information about the
educational progress, health, physical development and home background
of these particular children. As information is collected
at each stage it is possible to learn a great deal about children's
abilities, behaviour, health and development at particular ages,
and about the services which are provided.
Finally, it was not possible to appoint either an Audiometrician
or Psychotherapist, but it is hoped that approval will be
given for these appointments to be made during the next financial
year