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annual dental inspection and an inspection each term for cleanliness,
etc., of all except the most senior children by a Health Visitor.
The commonest abnormalities found are visual defects, ears,
nose and throat defects and postural or foot defects.
When defects are found these are either kept under observation
or, if early treatment is needed, those concerned are referred to
their private doctors or dentists. In some cases, subject to the
private doctor's consent, they are referred for specialist advice or
treatment; for others, special clinics are arranged, e.g. dental, eye
clinics and clinics for speech therapy, remedial exercises and child
guidance.
Handicapped children receive very special attention, the objects
being to see that they get any treatment they require and
particularly to ensure that their education is adapted to their needs
and is interrupted as little as possible. For certain groups, e.g. the
blind, deaf and mentally sub-normal, special schools are provided
but as far as practicable these children are brought up in a normal
environment and not encouraged to think of themselves as being
abnormal.
Services for other Adults.
Since the implementation of the National Health Service Act
the curative services for all, including adults, have been made more
widely available but the preventive services, other than those
especially for the groups just mentioned, are very limited. The
mass X-ray service is, of course, available to all and there is a
preventive aspect to some hospital Out Patients Departments and
treatment Clinics, e.g. the Chest Clinic and Ophthalmic Departments.
Dental inspection is also encouraged, with special facilities
for young adults, but of routine medical inspections there is very
little apart from the military and similar services. Some hospital
staffs are regularly supervised and many employees have an initial
examination on appointment, which gives an opportunity for preventive
advice.
It is not suggested that it would be practicable at this time
to introduce routine periodical examinations for all adults but
this gap should be mentioned in a survey such as this, for,
until an extension of school medical examinations can be introduced,
many of the earliest signs of abnormality will remain undiscovered
and the tendency will be for ill-health to have advanced
too far to be reversed, before it is first noted.
Massage Establishments.
The provisions of Part IV of the Surrey County Council Act,
1931, relating to the registration and management of massage
establishments, are in operation. There are 16 such establishments
in the Urban District.
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