London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Croydon 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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use of financial resources and the need to consider the job satisfaction of
medical staff may well lead to the conclusion that a scheme of selective
medical inspections should be introduced in Croydon. At the same time it
must be recognised that such a scheme is likely to have significant disadvantages
unless some method can be devised which will allow all children
to be screened by medical examination for a certain number of specified
conditions.
Table 1. Numbers seen at Medical Inspections 1969
| Routine Inspections — | 18,378 |
| Special Inspections — at school medical sessions | 953 |
| at inspection clinics | 42 |
| 995 | |
| Reinspections - at school medical sessions | 3,199 |
| at inspection clinics | 475 |
| 3,674 |
A number of schemes of reorganisation of medical inspections have
stressed that the routine system has been replaced by a system of special
inspections which allow the child to be examined whenever it seems
necessary. It is interesting to note therefore that although the routine
system has been retained in Croydon, the number of special inspections
has shown a dramatic increase. The number of children brought forward to
the School Medical Officer for a special examination in school increased
by 36% during 1969. The number of children examined at school inspection
clinics showed a further slight fall, and it is now rare for these inspections
to take place outside school. This is most welcome, since the opportunity
is readily available for discussion of the problem between the teacher and
the medical officer.
The number of re-inspections (Table I) again confirms the trend for
these to be undertaken in school rather than at a school clinic. There was a
slight increase during the year in the number of re-inspections which were
carried out, suggesting that medical officers are continuing to supervise
the medical defects which they discover.
During the year a number of parents whose children attend private
schools requested a routine school medical inspection, and these examinations
were carried out in appropriate school clinics. Enquiries continue to
be received from private schools about the introduction of medical inspections
in such schools. A number of private schools enjoy this facility, and
details of the examinations are given in Appendix C, page 65.