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154
FOLLOWING UP.
From January to June, thirteen health visitors were concerned
in following up school children suffering from physical defects,
with a view to their improvement or remedy. In July an additional
health visitor was appointed, who commenced duty in September,
so that from that month there were 14 district health visitors. Each
health visitor is responsible for the work in her own ward.
In the first place the health visitor helps to prepare the
children for medical inspection, and ascertains from the medical
officer the nature of any defects found. Immediately after each
medical inspection at a school, information is sent to the parents
of children requiring medical attention, and this is reinforced
where advisable by visits to the home by the health visitor. The
following table indicates the large amount of work done by the
health visitors in connection with this part of their duties : —
Visits to Elementary and Secondary Schools for
medical inspection 517
Number of children prepared for medical inspection 18540
Home visits (following up) arising out of medical
inspection 4601
Home visits arising out of dental inspection 1882
Other home visits (excluding those for infectious
diseases) 2257
It will be seen that 8,740 visits were paid to the homes by the
health visitors in the endeavour to ensure that proper treatment was
provided for the remedy of physical defects.
Surveys for Condition of Uncleanliness.
Systematic surveys were made of all departments of all public
elementary schools in the Borough throughout the year.
An average of from 9 to 10 visits was paid to each school for
that purpose by the health visitor, and 48,465 examinations of
children carried out. In 3,893 of these, or 8.0 per cent., the
children were found to show in some degree verminous conditions
of the head or body. The procedure set out in the Committee's
Standing Orders in respect of such conditions was adopted in these
as in the corresponding cases traced by head teachers.
No legal proceedings were taken during the year in connection
with such cases, either under the Education Act, 1921, or under
the School Attendance Bye-laws.